Prince Demola Adeloye, a contender in the upcoming 2028 Ondo State gubernatorial election under the “OWN ONDO 2028” platform, has congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on securing a second term in office following the Osun State governorship election.
The official declaration was made on Sunday morning at the INEC Collation Centre in Osogbo by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole. Adeleke secured a total of 511,067 votes, sweeping 19 out of the 30 local government areas in the state to defeat his main rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who garnered 444,815 votes.
In a public statement responding to the declaration, Adeloye commended the voters of Osun State, particularly youth participants, describing the election outcome as evidence that democratic mandates derive directly from the ballot box.
Beyond extending congratulations, Adeloye used the election outcome to highlight stark differences in voter participation between Ondo and Osun States, urging citizens of Ondo to address declining turnout ahead of their next election cycle.
Analyzing official figures from recent off-cycle polls, Adeloye pointed out that Ondo State recorded an accreditation rate of 24.88% during its 2024 governorship election, where 510,862 out of 2,053,061 registered voters participated, with the winning candidate receiving 366,781 votes. In contrast, Osun State registered 2,339,544 voters and accredited 1,010,684 voters (43.20%), with the winning candidate securing 511,067 votes.
Adeloye emphasized that despite having only 286,483 more registered voters than Ondo, Osun recorded nearly double the voter turnout.
He stressed that voter turnout is a civic responsibility that transcends party lines, warning that political apathy allows a small minority to determine leadership for the broader population.
”Political apathy does not punish politicians; it weakens the voice of the people,” Adeloye stated, calling on Ondo residents to prepare for 2028 by registering, collecting Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), scrutinizing candidates, and rejecting vote-buying at the polls.
