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Adeleke’s Accord Party delivers a symbolic victory, defeating the APC at former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s polling unit despite his open support for Bola Oyebamiji.
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Accord polls 125 votes against APC’s 85, while the ADC trails with just five votes in the politically significant Okuku polling unit of the former governor.
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Voting figures underscore a sharp contrast between Oyinlola’s public endorsement of the APC and the choice made by voters in his immediate political base.
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Result adds fresh momentum to the governorship contest as INEC continues statewide collation across Osun’s 30 local government areas.
August 15, (THEWILL) — Former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, suffered an early political setback on Saturday after Governor Ademola Adeleke’s Accord Party defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) at his polling unit, despite his high-profile endorsement of the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, ahead of the election.
Results published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on its Result Viewing (IReV) portal showed that the Accord Party secured 125 votes at Court Hall I, Okuku, in Odo-Otin Local Government Area to emerge victorious.
The APC polled 85 votes, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) finished a distant third with five votes.
The African Action Congress (AAC) garnered two votes, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) recorded one vote each.
Other parties, including the Action Alliance (AA), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action People’s Party (APP), Boot Party (BP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), failed to record a single vote.
The official result sheet also showed that 228 voters were accredited, 220 valid votes were cast, while eight ballots were rejected.
The outcome is expected to attract political attention because it contradicts Oyinlola’s public backing of Oyebamiji, which many analysts believed could influence voting in his immediate community.
In the days leading to the election, Oyinlola, who governed Osun State between 2003 and 2010, openly urged residents to support the APC candidate, distancing himself from the re-election bid of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
However, the voting pattern at his polling unit painted a different picture, with the Accord Party recording a comfortable victory over the APC, suggesting that local voters were not swayed by the former governor’s endorsement.
The Osun governorship election has remained one of Nigeria’s most closely watched off-cycle polls, with Governor Adeleke seeking another term against APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, ADC candidate Najeem Salaam and other contenders.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
