ADC loses to APC in Aregbesola’s polling unit

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured a victory at the polling unit of former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, a significant development in the ongoing governorship election. Mr. Aregbesola, who is now a leader and the national secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after defecting from the APC last year, saw his party's candidate trail behind the APC.

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Mr. Aregbesola, who defected from the APC last year, is a leader and the national secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

At polling unit 001 in Ilesa East Local Government Area, the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, garnered 256 votes. In contrast, the Accord Party's candidate received 43 votes, and the ADC's candidate, Najeem Salaam, secured only 13 votes. This result represents an early setback for the ADC, particularly as Mr. Salaam is backed by Mr. Aregbesola, a prominent political figure in Osun.

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At PU001, Coop. Building Junction, Isare, Ward 08, Ilesa East Local Government Area, where Mr. Aregbesola earlier voted on Saturday the APC’s candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, secured 256 votes to come top there.

The trend continued in a nearby polling unit, PU007, where the APC also dominated. The APC polled 202 votes, while the Accord Party secured 110 votes, and the ADC received just 12 votes. These outcomes could prove significant for the ADC, which has been positioning itself as a major alternative to the state's two leading political parties.

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Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party came second with 43 votes, while ADC’s candidate Najeem Salaam came third with 13 votes.

Mr. Aregbesola, who served as Osun State Governor from 2010 to 2018, cast his ballot earlier in his hometown, Ilesa. His political influence in the state is considerable, having previously governed under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria and later helping to establish the APC. His move to the ADC, where he holds a national leadership position, was seen as a strategic shift, but these early election results suggest challenges for his new party.

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The result represents an early setback for the ADC, whose candidate, Mr. Salaam, is being backed by Mr. Aregbesola, one of the party’s major political figures in Osun.