Voting Begins in Osun as INEC Reports High Opening Rate

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says voting is going well across Osun State. By 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, 3,556 out of the state's 3,763 polling units were opened.

INEC shared this information in a post on its X account on Saturday. This update was about the ongoing governorship election in the state.

According to INEC, this number means 94.5 percent of all polling units in Osun are open. The commission noted that the remaining 207 polling units, which is 5.5 percent, faced minor delays but were all open by 9 a.m.

RAC Activation Completed

INEC also said the Registration Area Centre (RAC) activation for the election was finished at 6:09 p.m. on Friday.
"RAC activation was successfully completed (100%) at 6:09 p.m. yesterday in preparation for the Osun State Governorship Election," the commission said.

They described the process of deploying and opening polling units as peaceful and orderly.
"The RAC activation and polling unit opening processes were conducted in a peaceful, orderly, and timely manner," INEC added.

This update comes as voters in Osun State choose a governor for another four-year term. There are 14 candidates in the running.

Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke is asking for re-election under the Accord Party. The All Progressives Congress (APC) is challenging him with Bola Oyebamiji, who is a former Osun commissioner for finance and the former CEO of the National Inland Waterways Authority.

Najeem Salaam, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, is the candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The election follows political changes and worries about possible violence. Observers see this election as mainly a contest between the ruling Accord and the APC, even with 14 political parties involved.

The Osun chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which does not have a candidate in this election, has backed Mr. Adeleke. They instructed their members across the state to support his re-election on the Accord platform.

This election is happening after the 2022 governorship contest when Mr. Adeleke won against the then-incumbent Gboyega Oyetola.

INEC's latest update shows that despite some initial delays in a few polling units, most of the polling places were opened within the first hour of voting.