With campaign activities concluded and the electorate voting today for a governor, the contest has moved beyond the noise of rallies, endorsements and political promises. What remains is the hard arithmetic of voter mobilisation and the capacity of the leading parties to translate their structures into ballots.
Fifteen candidates are on the ballot, but the election has developed into a three-way contest among Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, APC and Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
Each represents a distinct political proposition. Adeleke is campaigning for continuity on a new platform. Oyebamiji is seeking to return the APC to power, while Salaam is presenting the ADC as an alternative to the two dominant political blocs.
That the three frontrunners come from Osun West Senatorial District adds an intriguing dimension to the election. Adeleke is from Ede, Oyebamiji comes from Ikire, and Salaam hails from Ejigbo. Rather than producing a regional consensus, their candidacies will divide the district and could make Osun Central and Osun East the ultimate deciders.
Adeleke and the power of incumbency
