TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Osun State government has revealed that it underestimated how far the opposition party could fare in the last Saturday governorship election in the state.
The Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Joseph Fuwape declared the election inconclusive due to the cancellations of ballot in 7 units in Ifon Orolu local government, Osogbo, Ife North and Ife South local government areas.
The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Senator Ademola Adeleke, had polled 254,698 votes to defeat that of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, who polled 254,345 votes.
Apparently startled by the performance of the PDP, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lani Baderinwa said the APC underestimated the opposition party before going to poll on Saturday.
Baderinwa made this known while answering questions on a programme of the State Broadcasting Corporation in Osogbo on Tuesday.
On whether the APC had accepted the conditions presented by the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Senator Iyiola Omisore for political parties to earn his support in the Thursday governorship rerun, Baderinwa said it was not for him to react to that addimg that “the matter is beyond me.”
Omisore’s father, Oba David Omisore, is the ruler of Garage Olode, a town in Ife South, where election in two units were cancelled and would be re-conducted on Thursday.
Omisore came third in the governorship poll, after garnering a total of 128, 049 votes and his support may determine the fate of either the PDP candidate, who is leading and the APC candidate, who is second in the poll.
Baderinwa urged electorate in the state to desist from selling their votes to any party saying “I want you to consider your future and generation unborn before voting. People should stop selling their votes. “