For weeks, the streets of Osun have been filled with campaign songs, political promises, accusations and counter-accusations.
On Saturday morning, the noise of the campaign gave way to something much quieter — the queue at the polling unit.
And in Ede, one of the state’s political strongholds, Governor Ademola Adeleke was among the early voters to arrive as Osun went to the polls to decide who will govern the state for the next four years.
The governor arrived at about 8:10am at Ward 02, Abogunde Sagba, in Ede North Local Government Area, where he cast his vote.
For Adeleke, however, this was more than another election-day appearance.
It was the moment when a four-year political journey suddenly came down to one ballot.
From PDP Victory To A New Political Home
Adeleke is seeking a second term, but this time, he is fighting the election under the platform of the Accord Party — a striking departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform on which he won the governorship in 2022.
That political switch has added another layer of intrigue to an already fiercely contested election.
In 2022, Adeleke defeated then-incumbent Gboyega Oyetola to take control of Osun.
Four years later, the governor is back before the voters, asking them to renew his mandate — but under a different party banner and against a field that includes some familiar political forces.
15 Parties, But The Real Battle Is Bigger
A total of 15 political parties are participating in the election.
However, two candidates — Adesina Adeyemi-Doro of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Simon Adewale of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) — had announced their withdrawal from the race.
The remaining contest features Adeleke against candidates backed by parties including the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and People Redemption Party (PRP).
Among the most closely watched battles is Adeleke’s contest against APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, with the ADC also seeking to upset the established political order in the state.
Ede Watches Its Own Son Vote
Adeleke’s decision to cast his ballot in Ede carries its own symbolism.
The governor was born into the influential Adeleke family and has long maintained a strong political connection with the area.
He is also the uncle of Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, making the Adeleke name one of the most recognisable political and cultural names to emerge from Osun.
But election day has a way of stripping politics down to its simplest form.
The governor may have the title.
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He may have the political machinery.
He may have thousands of supporters.
But inside the polling unit, his vote is still just one vote.
That is the peculiar power of election day.
The Real Verdict Belongs To Osun Voters
As Adeleke completed the voting process, the bigger question moved beyond his polling unit.
Will Osun voters reward his first term with another four years?
Will the opposition succeed in turning dissatisfaction, political realignment and campaign momentum into electoral victory?
Or will Adeleke prove that his grassroots appeal remains strong enough to survive the political turbulence surrounding his re-election bid?
For now, the campaigns are over.
The speeches are over.
The promises have been made.
And in Ede, Adeleke has cast his own ballot.
The rest of the story now belongs to the voters of Osun State.