Inec declares Osun governorship election inconclusive as Adeleke pips APC's Oyetola with just 353 votes

NIGERIA'S Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) has declared the Osun State governorship elections inconclusive after tight race which ended with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leading the All Progressives Congress (APC) with just 353 votes.

In what was a cliff-hanger of an elections, Senator Ademola Adeleke of the PDP secured 254,698 votes, while Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of the APC got 254,345 votes. However, with about 3,500 votes declared invalid, Inec declared the results as inconclusive in line with the constitutional provision which states that if the margin of victory is less than the number of invalid votes, a re-run misty take place.

Announcing the results in Oshogbo, the Osun State capital, Joseph Afuwape, Inec's returning officer said that the commission will now provide a date for an election re-run. He added that since the difference between the two leading parties was just 353 votes but the number of cancelled votes was 3,498, no winner had emerged.

Mr Afuwape said: "The margin was, however, less than the 3,498 votes that were cancelled during the poll. Unfortunately, as the returning officer, it is thus not possible to declare any party as winner."

Former Osun State deputy governor and senator Iyiola Omisore of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) polled 128,049 votes to place a distant third. There were a total of 48 candidates in the election but it ended up being a two horse race in the end.