Vote counting is underway in the Osun State governorship election after polls officially closed at 2:30 p.m., although electoral law permits voters who were in queues before the deadline to cast their ballots. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed that 2,339,233 residents were registered to vote across the state’s polling units.
Fifteen political parties are contesting the election, though only a handful of candidates conducted visible campaigns statewide. The incumbent, Governor Ademola Adeleke, is seeking a second term on the platform of the Accord party. He faces two prominent challengers: Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Results from polling units where voting has concluded and ballots have been counted are being transmitted to collation centres. INEC officials have stated that the extension of voting hours applies strictly to voters who were accredited and in line by the official closing time. Security personnel have been deployed to maintain order during the counting and collation process.
The election is widely viewed as a key indicator of political strength in the South-West region. Party agents are monitoring proceedings at ward and local government levels as results trickle in. The commission has pledged transparency and is expected to declare the winner once all results are verified and aggregated. Final tallies are anticipated in the coming hours.
