Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate after securing a decisive victory in the party’s primary election.

The primary, held on Tuesday at Adolak Hall in Osogbo, saw Adedamola score 919 votes to clinch the ticket for the upcoming gubernatorial poll.

Announcing the results, the chairman of the PDP electoral committee, Humphrey Abba, revealed that 20 votes were declared invalid. He further explained that one of the two aspirants earlier cleared for the contest had withdrawn before voting commenced.

“Void votes, 20. As we said earlier, one of the aspirants stepped down. The candidate who secured the remaining votes—Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes—is hereby elected and returned,” Abba declared.

Why Governor Adeleke’s Name Appeared on the Ballot

There had been confusion among delegates over the presence of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s name on the ballot despite his announcement of resignation from the PDP.

Addressing the issue, the secretary of the electoral committee, Sunday Solarin, explained that the governor’s withdrawal came too late for the ballot to be amended.

According to Solarin, Adeleke resigned on Monday night, at a time when the ballot papers had already been printed and were ready for use.

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“There were two aspirants for the PDP ticket, but Governor Ademola Adeleke resigned late Monday. At that point, it was impossible to adjust the ballot. Delegates were accordingly informed that only Adebayo Adedamola remained in the race,” Solarin clarified.

Adedamola Becomes Sole Contender After Adeleke’s Resignation

Adedamola ultimately ran as the sole contender following Adeleke’s last-minute exit from the race, paving the way for his overwhelming victory and formal declaration as the PDP’s flagbearer.