SENATOR Ademola Adeleke, representing Osun West Senatorial District, has won the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State by the slimmest of margins.
Adeleke, who became senator after winning a by-election occasioned by the death of his brother in April 2017, won Saturday’s primary by polling 1, 569 votes.
His closest challenger, Akin Ogunbiyi, polled a total of 1,562 votes, meaning Adeleke won the primary by the slim margin of seven votes.
Fatai Akingbade placed third with 52 votes, while Nathaniel Oke made up the rear with three votes.
The primary election held at the GMT Hotel and Event Centre along Ring Road in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
Seriake Dickson, Governor Bayelsa State, who chaired the committee overseeing the electoral process, announced the results.
As of press time, Dickson had not revealed the total number of accredited votes for the primary election.
Eleven aspirants were originally scheduled to contest the primary, but seven of them — Adeola Durotoye, Adejare Rafiu Bello, Ayoade Adewepo, Jide Ezekiel Adeniji, Senator Ogunwale Felix Kola, Akogune Lere Oyewumi, Senator Olasunkami Akanbi Abdulrasheed — withdrew in the morning, leaving the quarter of Adeleke, Ogunbiyi, Akingbade and Oke.
Some aggrieved delegates had also in the morning alleged that the voting exercise was manipulated to favour a particular aspirant.
Adeleke would now go head-to-head with Gboyega Oyetola, who emerged candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday.
