Voting begins in Osun election, turnout impressive

Voting has begun in the 3,010 polling stations in Osun state to elect a new governor. Turnout is generally impressive throughout the state.

Field reports said there was calm in many towns, such as Ede, Osogbo the capital, Ile-Ife, Ilesha, Iwo and Ejigbo. There were very few reports of card reader malfunctioning.

Elderly people were given preference by electoral officials to cast their ballots first. And in Ede, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke has already cast his vote. He voted at the polling unit in Abogunde Compound, in Ede North LGA.

Forty eight governorship candidates are in the race to succeed incumbent, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress. The big decision will be made by 1,687,492 registered voters, although over 400,000 of them will not participate, as they were yet to collect their PVCs by Friday. According to INEC, 1,246,915 PVCs were distributed.

The most prominent of the candidates are Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyiola Omisore, Social Democratic Party, Fatai Akinbade of African Democratic Congress and Moshood Adeoti of Action Democratic Party.

More to follow