By Joseph Adefemi
The Osun State governorship election held on Saturday has been declared inconclusive.
Announcing the results of all the political parties where the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ademola Adeleke, had the highest number of votes, the State Returning officer, Mr. Joseph Adeola Fuwape, declared that Adeleke did not meet the requirement of the election guideline to be returned winner.
Adeleke polled 254,698 while his closest rival, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ,Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, scored 254,345 votes.
Declaring the election inconclusive, “According to election guideline, where the margin of win between two leading candidates is not in excess of the total number of registered voters of the polling units where elections were cancelled, candidate or a party may not be returned”Fuwape said:
“From the analysis of the result that we have, the difference between the two leading parties is just 353 and the number of voters in units where elections were cancelled is 3498.
“To that effect, unfortunately, as a returning officer, it is not possible to declare any party as the clear winner of this election on the first ballot.
“I Joseph Adeola Suwape, hereby declare the election inconclusive, thank you.”
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission has announce September 27th as date for the completion of the election at the polling units where elections were cancelled.
The 3498 votes were cancelled in seven polling units in Ife South, Ife North, Orolu And Osogbo due to irregularities ballot box snatching and malfunctioning of card readers.
Though 48 political parties participated in the election it was a fierce contest between the APC and the PDP with the ruling party winning in 15 local governments while PDP won in 12 local governments. The Social Democratic Party (SDP), which fielded a former deputy governor, Senator Iyiola Omisore, won Ife Central and Ife East local governments, while the candidate of the Action Democratic Party, Mr. Moshood Adeoti, won Iwo local government.
SDP candidate who came third in the election polled 128,049 votes while ADP recorded 41,742 votes.
The fiercely contested election was however largely peaceful primarily because of the massive deployment of security agents and equipment. Two police patrol helicopters, 30 Armoured Personnel Carriers, 10 Armoured Personnel Vehicles, 300 patrol vehicles and 28000 policemen were deployed in Osun for the election.
The results as announced by INEC are as folow:
BOLUWADURO
APC- 3843
ADC- 69
ADP- 858
PDP- 3779
SDP-1766
IFEDAYO
APC- 3182
ADC- 52
ADP- 176
PDP- 3374
SDP-1377
EDE SOUTH
ADC 83
ADP 357
APC 4512
PDP 16793
SDP 855
IWO
ADC: 1164
ADP :16125
APC :7644
PDP:6122
SDP: 4153
OROLU
ADC 79
ADP 388
APC 5442
PDP 7776
SDP 2043
ATAKUMOSA WEST
APC- 5019
ADC- 106
ADP- 718
PDP- 5401
SDP-1570
OBOKUN
ADC 106
ADP 663
APC 7229
PDP 10869
SDP 1907
BORIPE
ADC – 137
ADP – 1137
APC – 11, 655
PDP – 6, 892
SDP – 2730
ILESA EAST
ADC – 18
ADP – 1275
APC – 9790
PDP – 8244
SDP-3720
ILESA WEST
ADC 127
ADP 2363
APC 7251
PDP 8286
SDP 2408
ORIADE
ADC 109
ADP 1224
APC 9778
PDP 10109
SDP 2265
IREPODUN
ADC 158
ADP 2534
APC 6517
PDP 8058
SDP 4846
ILA
ADC 96
ADP 183
APC 8403
PDP 8241
SDP 3134
ISOKAN
ADC 56
ADP 682
APC 7,297
PDP 9048
SDP 3460
ODO OTIN
ADC 1034
ADP 1112
APC 9996
PDP 9879
SDP 294
AYEDADE
ADC 145
ADP 1654
APC 10861
PDP 9836
SDP 2096
IFE CENTRAL
ADC 194
ADP 1053
APC 6957
PDP 3200
SDP 20494
EDE NORTH
ADC 89
ADP 758
APC 7025
PDP 18745
SDP 1380
IREWOLE
ADC 249
ADP 1915
APC 10049
PDP 13848
SDP 1142
OLORUNDA
ADC 335
ADP 1409
APC 16254
PDP 9850
SDP 7061
OLAOLUWA
ADC 1408
ADP 2194
APC 5025
PDP 4025
SDP 2104
IFE NORTH
ADP – 745
APC – 6527
PDP – 5486
SDP – 5158
EJIGBO LGA
ADP – 592
APC – 14779
PDP – 11116
SDP – 4803
EGBEDORE
ADP – 636
APC – 7354
PDP – 7231
SDP – 3367
AYEDIRE
ADP – 1642
APC – 5474
PDP – 5133
SDP – 2396
IFE SOUTH
ADC 136
APC 7223
PDP – 4872
SDP – 6151
IFE EAST
ADC 237
ADP 509
APC 8925
PDP – 6,608
SDP – 17643
IFELODUN
ADC: 236
ADP 2844
APC 1970
PDP 12269
SDP 9882
ATAKUMOSA EAST
ADC 60
ADP 629
APC 7073
PDP 5218
SDP 2140
OSOGBO
ADC 413
ADP 2478
APC 23,379
PDP 14,499