The All Progressives Congress (APC) won the Osun State Governor election in the Home Minister voting unit, Rauf Aregbesola.
The ruling party won 164 votes to win in Unit 1, District 8, Ilesa, Ilesa East Local Government Area.
The APC defeated the closest rival, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), which won 134 votes.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the minister ‘boycotted’ the election and left Nigeria on Friday to attend a conference scheduled for Monday in Germany by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
Aregbesola has been at odds with the state governor, Gboyega Oyetola, and has publicly opposed his second-term ambition.
He had endorsed former state government secretary Moshood Adeoti, his anointed candidate who would later lose to Oyetola in the APC gubernatorial primary on February 19.
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However, a faction of the APC loyal to Mr Aregbesola has promised to continue working for the party. The faction known as Los Progresistas de Osun (TOP) said it would support the functioning of the party despite the governor’s mistreatment.
Voting is over in many voting units in the state and results are already being announced in some areas.
Oyetola won her voting unit by a wide margin, getting 545 votes to defeat her closest rival, Ademola Adeleke of the PDP, who got 69 votes.
He had voted in Unit 2, District 1, Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State.
While Adeleke won her own voting unit: 009, Ward 02, Abogunde Area of Ede North Local Government Area, with 218 votes. Gboyega fell behind him with 23 votes.