Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has explained why he stayed in Osogbo throughout the August 15 Osun State governorship election, saying he wanted to understand how the election would go by speaking directly with residents and observing the mood across the state.
Fayose disclosed this during an interview with TVC News, where he also shared his assessment of the election and its outcome.
Explaining his presence in Osogbo, Fayose said he wanted to gain more experience and hear directly from ordinary people ahead of the election. He added that he visited several communities, including markets and Ilesa, where he interacted with residents and listened to their views.
According to him, his interactions with voters suggested that the election would be closely contested and could go either way, making it difficult to predict the eventual winner before the votes were counted.
Fayose, however, criticised the violence, desperation and killings that occurred towards the end of the election, describing them as unfortunate and largely unnecessary. He maintained that the closeness of the contest meant either candidate could have emerged victorious.
The former governor said the election should not only be viewed in terms of who won or lost but also through the voting patterns across different parts of the state. He said Governor Ademola Adeleke’s 66,000-vote winning margin was significantly influenced by votes from Ede, which he described as the Adeleke family’s stronghold.
Fayose explained that Ede accounted for about 46,000 of the 66,000-vote margin, while votes from Ilesa, Osogbo and other local governments contributed to the remaining difference. He described the election as keenly contested and congratulated the Adeleke family on the victory.
He urged Adeleke to be magnanimous in victory and called for total reconciliation among political actors in Osun State, stressing that the process should involve all stakeholders and not only the Accord Party.
Fayose also addressed claims that the Federal Government intended to take over the election, saying that if the government truly wanted to influence an election, it would be difficult to stop such an effort based on his understanding of past experiences.
The former governor also agreed with comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that the Accord Party won the election because President Bola Tinubu allowed the poll to be free and fair.
Tribune