Massive turnout of voters, vote-buying – events that shaped Osun 2022 guber election

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke has been declared as the winner of Osun governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Residents of Osun trooped out enmasse especially elderly women to elect the next governor of the state for another four years. The turn-out of voters was encouraging and the exercise was peaceful except in some polling units in Ikire and Ife where irate followers clashed.

Eventhough there was delay in some polling units caused by malfunctioning of BVAS and some voters decried that they could not find their informations at their respective units, the entire process was peaceful.
Fifteen candidates jostled for the mandate of the people and four candidates were projected as major contenders but the narrative changed barely six hours after the election as teeming electorates reduced the candidates from four to two.

The five candidates namely, Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rt. Hon. Lasun Yusuf of the Labour Party (LP) and Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi of the Accord Party (AP).

At the end of the exercise, Senator Ademola Adeleke who is the winner of the election polled 403, 371 votes while his closest rival, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola polled 375, 027 votes while other candidates struggled with the remaining votes.

However, there are notable events that shaped the poll and factors that influenced the decision of majority of voters who participated in the exercise.

AGE BRACKET OF VOTERS

WITHIN NIGERIA visited several polling units in Ilesa East and Ilesa West respectively. This reporter observed that the population of young people at these polling units was relatively low to elderly people when compared. He also observed that majority of young voters did not stay too long after the voting exercise while elderly ones majorly women waited till the completion of the exercise.

MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INEC OFFICIALS AND PARTY AGENTS

WITHIN NIGERIA also observed that there was mutual working relationship between INEC officials and party agents. They worked together to control crowd of voters and also ensured that the exercise was peaceful. Elderly people were assisted and considered by INEC officials too.

VOTE BUYING

This reporter observed that there was massive vote buying. Two major political parties namely, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) engaged in vote-buying.

In some polling units, WITHIN NIGERIA observed that some party loyalists scattered themselves at strategic places to engage and give out N5000 to voters.

It was also observed that security agencies also aided vote buying. Police officers allowed party agents to buy votes freely and they also assisted in the transactions. There were cases of careless vote-buying which were reported to police officers but were not attended too.