April 17, (THEWILL) – The preparation for the July 2022 Governorship Election in Osun State received a boost last week as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the final list of 15 candidates in the election.
INEC published the personal particulars and list of candidates (Form EC9) for the election last Tuesday. In a statement, its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye, said the list was published at the state and local government offices of the commission in Osun State as required by law.
Okoye said that the list was published in compliance with the Electoral Act 2022, following the close of nominations by political parties.
According to the published particulars of the 15 candidates, all of the governorship candidates are males, while six of the deputy governorship candidates are females.
The listed candidates are Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is the incumbent governor of the state; Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Omigbodun Akinrinola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Others include Lasun Yusuff of the Labour Party (LP); Adesuyi Olufemi (ZLP); Adeleke Adedapo (BP); Adebayo Elisha (APP); Awoyemi Lukman (APM); Awojide Segun (AAC); Akinade Ogunbiyi (Accord); Kehinde Atanda (ADP); Rasaq Saliu (NNPP); Ayodele Adedeji of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Ademola Adeseye of Young People’s Party (YPP).
INEC has said that any political party that observes that the name of its candidate is missing from the list should notify the Commission in writing, adding this was guaranteed by Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2022
It also advised that the letter must be signed by the party’s national chairman and secretary, supported with an affidavit not later than 90 days to the election.
“Furthermore, the attention of parties is drawn to Section 32(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which provides that failure to notify the Commission shall not be grounds to invalidate the election.
“The final list is published in our state and local government offices in Osun State, as well as our website and social media platforms for public information as required by law”, INEC said.
Looking at the names of the 15 candidates released by INEC, political analysts have narrowed down the election to a three – horse – race between Oyetola, Adeleke and Yusuff.
GBOYEGA OYETOLA (APC)
Adegboyega Oyetola, the candidate of the APC, contested the Osun State governorship election on the platform of the same political party in 2018 and he won. On March 23, 2019, an election tribunal declared that he was not legally returned and ordered INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Senator Adeleke of the PDP, but it was overturned by the Supreme Court. Prior to his emergence as governor, he was the Chief of Staff to Engineer Rauf Aregbesola, his predecessor.
Oyetola was born in Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State on September 29, 1954. He attended the University of Lagos and graduated with a Bachelor of Science honours degree in Insurance in 1978. He proceeded to his mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Potiskum, Yobe State, where he lectured at the Staff Training Centre between 1978 and 1979. He obtained a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Lagos in 1990.
He contested, alongside the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun, and Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Nojeem Salaam, Dr Samuel Ibiyemi, Publisher, Nigerian News Direct Newspapers, Adelere Oriolowo, Moshood Adeoti, amongst others, as the APC candidate in the September 22, 2018 governorship election in Osun state and won. He was sworn into office on November 27, 2018.
Oyetola is relying on his performance in office in the last four years to guarantee his success in the forthcoming election. His supporters have said that the prompt payment of salaries and pensions, as well as infrastructural development has endeared him to the people of the state .
ADEMOLA ADELEKE (PDP)
Ademola Adeleke, the candidate of the PDP, represented the Osun-West Senatorial District between 2017 and 2019. He is from the Adeleke family of Ede in Osun State.
A businessman and administrator, he served as an Executive Director at Guinness Nigeria Plc between 1992 and 1999. One of his co-directors was General Theophilus Danjuma (retd.).
Adeleke was a Group Executive Director at his brother’s company, Pacific Holdings Limited from 2001 to 2016. Prior to joining Pacific Holdings Limited, he had worked with Quicksilver Courier Company in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, as a service contractor between 1985 and 1989. He moved to Origin International LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, a flavours and fragrance manufacturing company as vice president from 1990 to 1994.
Adeleke started his political career in 2001 alongside his late brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, who died in April 2017. He contested in the Osun-West 2017 by-election after the death of his brother, emerging as the winner under the PDP.
On July 23, 2018, Adeleke emerged as the governorship candidate of PDP in Osun State after defeating Akin Ogunbiyi by seven votes. He contested in the Osun governorship electio] under the platform of the PDP against top contenders like Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of APC and Chief Iyiola Omisore of SDP on September 22, 2018. The election was declared inconclusive by INEC and a supplementary election was held on September 27, 2018. The candidate of the APC, Oyetola, was declared winner after a run-off election.
Adeleke protested the result describing the election as a “coup”. On March 22, 2019, a tribunal sitting in Abuja declared Adeleke the winner of the election. The Supreme Court later affirmed Gboyega Oyetola as the authentic winner of the 2018 Osun State governorship election on Friday, July 5, 2019.
Adeleke, who narrowly lost to Oyetola in 2018, is seen as a hot contender for the governorship ticket. With the backing of his multi-millionaire brother, Deji Adeleke, many believe he may spring a surprise in the election, if the PDP in Osun resolves to unite ahead of the election.
LASUN YUSUF (LP)
Born on October 4, 1960, Lasun Yusuf was the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives between 2015 and 2019. He is a native of Ilobu, the administrative headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State.
He graduated from the University of Ibadan where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Lasun is a chartered engineer and he holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile-Ife.
Lasun Yusuff is a grassroot politician widely known in Osun State and he is fondly called The Homeboy due to his grassroot qualities.
In 2011, he ran for a legislative seat in the [7th National Assembly] as the representative of the Irepodun/Olorunda/Osogbo/Orolu Federal Constituency. He won on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN
Lasun was elected to the House of Representatives for a second time on the All Progressives Congress’ platform in March 2015. He was elected the Deputy Speaker of the 8th House of Representatives by 203 members of the House of Representatives out of the 357 that participated in the in-house election. Yakubu Dogara was elected as the Speaker.
Analysts see Lasun Yusuff as a third force, who may spring a surprise, considering his high political credentials in Osun politics.
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
