The senator representing Osun west senatorial district at the Senate, Ademola Adeleke, has been declared the winner of the People Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial election held on Saturday, July 21, in the state.
Report had it that Ademola who is the younger brother of the first civilian governor of the state, late senate Isiaka Adeleke, polled 1,569 votes to defeat his closest rival, Akin Ogunbiyi, who polled 1,562 votes.
It was earlier reported that seven aspirants stepped down and thus made the contest to be among Ademola Adeleke, Akin Ogunbiyi, the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Fatai Akinbade and Nathaniel Oke.
The duo Akinbade and Oke polled 52 and 3 votes respectively.
The primary election was 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, July 20.