Gov. Aregbesola’s Chief of Staff wins Osun APC governorship ticket

Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola has been declared winner of the Osun State All Progressives Congress governorship primaries ahead of the September 22, 2018 election in the state.
In the direct primary, which held on Friday, the CoS polled 127,017 votes as against the 21,975 votes scored by House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun.
The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Nojeem Salaam, came third.
Oyetola, a participant in the June 12 struggle, has been Governor Raud Aregbesola’s CoS since 2010.
Announcing the results at about 10:45pm on Friday at the party’s secretariat in Osogbo, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege said Oyetola scored 127,017 votes.
Omo-Agege, who represented Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, the Chairman of the Election Committee, said Yussuff came second with 21,975 votes.
He said: “Having won the majority votes, I declare Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola as the official flag bearer for the September 22 governorship election.”
He commended all other aspirants for displaying maturity during the exercise.
Omo-Agege, who described the election as a family contest, said there was no victor and no vanquished.
The direct primary was conducted in 332 wards across the state.
The late arrival of election materials and absence of electoral officials delayed the exercise in some of the wards visited.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria who monitored the exercise in Iwo, Ejigbo, Ikire and Gbongan reports that many party members waited for hours at their wards to be accredited for the exercise.
At ward 2, Molete in Iwo Local Government, as at 1:30pm, party members were still waiting for electoral officials.
Semiu Akanji, a party member, said he had been on the queue since 8:30am.
“We were told that the exercise will start by 8am but to our surprise, we are still waiting for electoral officials as at 1:30pm,” Akanji said.
Adelere Oriolowo, an aspirant, described the late arrival of the election material as worrisome.
Oriolowo said preparation for the direct primary as announced by the party leadership was too short.
Another aspirant, Kunle Rasheed Adegoke, also complained of non availability of election materials in his Ward 3 in Olorunda Local Government, Osogbo.
At Salvation Army School, Alekuwodo, Ward 5, Osogbo, voters waited in vain for the electoral register until about 4pm.
Among the 17 aspirants who contested for the party’s ticket, three withdrew at the last minute.
They were Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, who is the Secretary to State Government; Senator Babajide Omoworare, representing Osun East in the Senate; and Peter Babalola, Chairman of Osun State Civil Service Commission.