Throwback: How Adeleke lost Osun by 482 votes in 2018, won in 2022

The path to governorship for Ademola Adeleke in Osun State has been a dramatic narrative of a narrow defeat, a contentious rerun, and a decisive comeback. In 2018, Adeleke, then representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), faced Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a remarkably close contest.

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Since the margin between the two leading candidates was lower than the registered cancelled votes, the election had to be declared inconclusive.

Initially, Adeleke held a slim lead of 353 votes, with 254,698 votes against Oyetola's 254,345. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election inconclusive because the margin was smaller than the 3,498 cancelled votes in several polling units. A subsequent rerun, held on September 27, 2018, saw Oyetola secure victory with 1,160 votes to Adeleke's 325. This shifted the final tally, with Oyetola winning by a mere 482 votes.

Adeleke rejected the outcome, vowing legal challenges and asserting that his mandate would be retrieved. His ambition, however, was not extinguished. Four years later, in the July 16, 2022 governorship election, Adeleke returned to the race, again facing Oyetola, who was by then the incumbent governor.

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Adeleke’s mandate can’t be stolen, it will be retrieved. The wish of the people will stand at the end.

This time, the result was a stark reversal. Adeleke secured 403,371 votes, defeating Oyetola's 375,027 by a substantial margin of 28,344 votes. Adeleke won 17 of the state's 30 local government areas, a clear demonstration of his strengthened support and a significant contrast to the razor-thin difference in 2018.

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I declare Adeleke Ademola Jackson Nurudeen, on behalf of the chairman of INEC, of the PDP, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and he is returned elected.