As Osun decides…

Electorates in Osun state will go to the polls tomorrow 16th July, to elect their preferred governorship candidate who would lead the state in the next four years. 

Who are the candidates? 

The incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola is seeking re-election and is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). His main rival in the last election in 2018, senator Ademola Adeleke is running on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Other candidates in the election include the Labour Party’s Lasun Yusuf (former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives), Oyegoke Omigbodun of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Akin Ogunbiyi of the Accord Party, among others. 

What are the projections? 

While the candidates have declared their potential policy goals if elected, especially in the areas of job creation, agriculture, education, and security, the election appears to be a two-horse race between the winner and runner-up of the 2018 edition, the APC’s Oyetola and the PDP’s Adeleke. As part of the last campaign activities, leaders of the PDP, including the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, visited the state capital, Osogbo, yesterday to rally support for the party’s candidate. Observers, however, noted that the visit suggests that the party is still in troubled waters ahead of the 2023 general elections. 

The party’s entourage to Osun included its National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Sokoto state governor Aminu Tambuwal, Delta state governor and Vice-presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, Edo state governor Godwin Obaseki, and Bayelsa state governor Douye Diri. However, leaders of the party, who have been at the center of ramblings within the fold lately were all absent, including Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, as well as Samuel Ortom of Benue state.