All the 15 political parties participating in tomorrow’s governorship election in Osun state ended their statewide campaigns Thursday on a peaceful note, hopeful that the electorate will make one of them their preferred choice.

Though the final outcome may be too close to call, it is certain that the two topmost contenders are the incumbent governor, Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC and Senator Ademola Adeleke of the PDP. The battle appears would get down to the wire.

The contest is like a reenactment of the 2018 governorship election that was so close between the two parties but was eventually won by Governor Oyetola of the APC. The two political parties are hopeful for victory in the contest tomorrow. While the APC boasts that its win will not be as close as the last exercise, the PDP says it is ready to upset the apple cart in this election.

Though the formal campaigns have ended, the battle seems to have shifted to the social media with the leading parties looking for a game changing formula. This has led to the revelations of different expositions about goings on and political manoeuvring happening within the political parties. It appears the parties are also setting themselves up for post-election judicial technicalities and adjudication.

Not wanting to be caught on the wrong side of the law, the PDP formally announced that it has ended all campaigns and disowned advertisements and campaigns that may surface in the media subsequently. In a statement, the Osun State Chapter of the PDP congratulated leaders and members of the party on the huge success recorded with the grand finale of the Governorship campaign which took place in Osogbo, the Osun State Capital.

The PDP expressed appreciation to Dr Iyiocha Ayu-led National Working Committee of the party, the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governor of Delta State and the vice presidential candidate, Dr Ifeanyichukwu Arthur Okowa, as well as the National Campaign Council ably led by the executive governor of Bayelsa state Dr Duoye Diri.

Dr Akindele also expressed joy in the spirit of love and brotherhood, with which leaders of the party in the state embraced and rallied support for Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke as demonstrated at the Mega Rally.

The Party Chairman Dr. Akindele Adekunle said “If we could all joined forces to record such a feat, even in the face of intimidation and other satanic antics by the APC government, aimed at frustrating us from holding the rally, then we sure can go all out on Saturday like unwavering army of change, and rescue our state from the hands of political rascals once and for all”

“I on behalf of leaders of our great party, the PDP, urge the good people of Osun state to stand up and be counted on saturday. As sons and daughters of Yoruba Land, nobody can intimidate us when we are ready.

“The Mega Rally was loud and clear to the whole world that we are tired of being enslaved in our own land and that is the statement I enjoin us to make again on Saturday by voting massively for PDP Candidate, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke as the next governor of Osun State”

The APC on the other hand blamed the PDP’s inability to secure a venue for its mega rally for its lack of preparedness and poor organization. “It was wrong to have waited till one week to its scheduled rally before looking for venue” says Oluomo Sunday Akere a Special Adviser to the Osun State Governor.

Vote Buying Still a Major Threat

There’s no doubt that the election on Saturday will be plagued by massive vote buying by the leading political parties. Already, allegations are flying left right and center that the buying of votes commenced on Thursday. It is alleged that one of the parties has distributed the sum of N3 million to each polling unit for the purpose of vote buying. It is being speculated that each voter willing to sell his/her vote will get anything between N3,000.00 and N20,000.00.

It is, however, not likely that observers will witness many visible purchase of votes as done in some previous elections. It will be a covert operation. Some of the voters are given the money after submitting to oath taking with the holy books of Bible and the Koran or traditional instruments of worship.

Court Bars Amotekun from Polling Units

Opposition PDP said it has secured an Osogbo Federal High Court Order restraining the INEC from deploying men of the State Security Network popularly known as Amotekun to any of the polling units for the governorship election. According to the published order, the Court also restrained Amotekun from volunteering her offices, agents and staffs as part of the security personel deployable for the purpose of Osun 2022 governorship election pending the determination of the originating summons filed in the suit.

The applicants are directed by the Court to file an undertaking indemnifying the respondent should the application not be granted. The case was adjourned till July 20, 2022.

Police, Army Effect Several Arrests

There has been a rash of arrests of suspected political thugs who have been hired by politicians to foment trouble or disrupt peaceful conduct of elections around the state. Some of the arrests were carried out by Officers of the Nigerian Army, though all the suspects are being detained at the State Headquarters of the Nigeria Police.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that among those arrested is one Chief Asiri Eniba who was recently accused of causing trouble in Osogbo when the PDP governorship candidate Senator Ademola Adeleke visited the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo. Also in the police net are scores of members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

Last Minute Declaration of Support

There has been some last minute horse trading with some parties declaring their support for any of the leading political parties. One of such is the Alliance for Democracy who has declared its support for Governor Oyetola.

In a statement issued by the Chairman and Secretary of the party’s Convention Planning Committee, Abdallah Muktar, and Kola Ajayi, the party urged its members to work for the re-election of Mr Oyetola, being part of the progressive party just like the AD.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that AD, one of the de-registered party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is not allowed to field candidate for the gubernatorial election.
“At the leadership and stakeholders meeting held in Iwo, Osun State on May 01, it was generally agreed that the party should work in agreement and support the candidature of His Excellency Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola, in the coming elections in Osun State on July 16.

“All our members, loyalists and stakeholders are by this declaration hereby directed to go out and vote Gov.Oyetola for a deserved second term in office. We equally enjoin all the good people of Osun State to vote Gov. Oyetola for continuity in good governance,” it said