Outgoing Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has finally opened up on the just concluded Osun governorship election which neither favoured his candidate, Gboyega Oyetola nor his party, APC.
According to the former Commissioner for Works, in Lagos State, under ex-Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the cancellation of election outcome in certain areas really, really affected them.
‘If there was no cancellation in those areas, we would have won outrightly (sic) without the need for the rerun.’
Oyetola, who is Aregbesola’s Chief of Staff, had contested against PDP’s Ademola Adeleke, currently a serving Senator.
PDP polled 254,698 votes while APC netted in 254,345 votes.
A re-run election has, however, been fixed for Thursday, September 27, 2018 due to the low margin. A total of 3,498 votes, it would be recalled, were voided. And this led to the declaration of the election inconclusive by Prof. Joseph Afuape, who was the returning officer.
Aregbesola, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Mr. Sola Fasure, on Sunday, September 23, boasted, ‘We expect to win at the first ballot.
‘We believe in the rule of law and due process and as democrats, we will abide by INEC’s decision, it is okay by us.
‘If there was no cancellation in those areas, we would have won outrightly without the need for the rerun.’