Ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, Governor Ademola Adeleke’s journey to the state’s Government House remains one of the most remarkable political comebacks in recent years. Adeleke first contested the governorship election in 2018 under the Peoples Democratic Party. He faced the All Progressives Congress candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, in what became one of the closest governorship contests in the state.
At the initial count, Adeleke polled 254,698 votes, while Oyetola scored 254,345 votes. The result gave Adeleke a lead of 353 votes. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the election inconclusive after cancelling 3,498 votes in parts of Ife North, Ife South and Orolu Local Government Areas. The Returning Officer, Prof Joseph Fuwape, said the cancelled votes were higher than the margin between the two leading candidates.
“Since the margin between the two leading candidates was lower than the registered cancelled votes, the election had to be declared inconclusive,” Fuwape said.
INEC subsequently scheduled a rerun in seven polling units.
Oyetola Turns The Tide In 2018 Rerun
The rerun was held on September 27, 2018, across four local government areas. Oyetola secured 1,160 votes, while Adeleke received 325 votes. Those figures changed the direction of the election. Oyetola finished with 255,505 votes, while Adeleke ended with 255,023 votes. The final result meant Oyetola defeated Adeleke by only 482 votes. Adeleke rejected the result and vowed to challenge it in court. Speaking through his brother, Dele Adeleke, he insisted that the PDP would seek legal redress.
“Adeleke’s mandate can’t be stolen, it will be retrieved. The wish of the people will stand at the end,” he said.
The narrow defeat did not end Adeleke’s ambition to become governor.
Adeleke Returns Four Years Later
In 2022, Adeleke returned to the governorship race and once again faced Oyetola, who was then the incumbent governor. The outcome was completely different from the 2018 contest. In the July 16, 2022 election, Adeleke secured 403,371 votes, defeating Oyetola, who polled 375,027 votes. Adeleke won 17 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyetola won 13.
This time, Adeleke had a margin of 28,344 votes. It was a sharp contrast to the 482-vote difference that had denied him victory four years earlier. The Returning Officer, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, declared Adeleke the winner after announcing the final result.
“I declare Adeleke Ademola Jackson Nurudeen, on behalf of the chairman of INEC, of the PDP, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and he is returned elected,” Ogundipe said.
Adeleke was later sworn in as governor on November 27, 2022.
Oyetola Challenges Adeleke’s Victory
The 2022 election, however, did not end the rivalry between the two politicians. Oyetola and the APC challenged Adeleke’s victory at the Election Petitions Tribunal. They alleged irregularities in the conduct of the election.
In January 2023, the tribunal annulled Adeleke’s victory after deducting votes it considered affected by over-voting. It subsequently declared Oyetola the winner based on its recalculation. Adeleke rejected the judgment and described it as a miscarriage of justice. He then appealed the decision.
Appeal Court, Supreme Court Uphold Adeleke
The Court of Appeal later overturned the tribunal’s decision and restored Adeleke as governor. Oyetola took the case further to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the appellate court’s judgment. However, in March 2023, the Supreme Court upheld Adeleke’s victory and brought the legal battle over the 2022 Osun governorship election to an end.
Adeleke Returns To The Ballot
Adeleke is now seeking another term as governor of Osun State in Saturday’s governorship election. The governor is contesting under the Accord Party and faces several challengers, including the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
His political journey in Osun has therefore come full circle. In 2018, Adeleke lost the governorship by just 482 votes after a rerun. Four years later, he returned to defeat the same opponent by 28,344 votes. The latest election will determine whether Adeleke can secure another victory and extend his stay in the Osun Government House.
Read also: Osun 2026: Five Issues That Could Decide Adeleke, Oyebamiji Contest
