Supplementary poll: Akande-Sadipe wins Oluyole Federal Constituency

…PDP’s Agboworin defeats Lam-Adesina in Ibadan S-E/N-E

By Stephen Gbadamosi

The member representing Oluyole Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the House of Representatives, Honourable Tolulope Akande-Sadipe Tiwalola, has been re-elected to return to the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared two of the state’s House of Representatives seats, of which Oluyole was one, in the election inconclusive at the February 25 main election.

At the re-run election held on Saturday, April 15, in two polling units of the federal constituency, 12 political parties took part in the keenly contested election where, at the end of the day, Mrs. Akande-Sadipe of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led the pack by an impressive margin, beating her closest rival, Mogbonjubola Olawale Mojeed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with almost 2,000 votes.

The Returning Officer for the Oluyole Federal Constituency Supplementary Election, Professor Olaniyi Jacob Babayemi, while declaring the Amazon as the winner of the poll, declared that she polled 14, 891 votes to defeat 11 others, while the closest rival got a total votes of 13,073.

Some of the other contenders are Abbas-Aleshinloye Ayodeji of the Accord who polled 5,585 votes; Bamidele Ilelabayo Mathew of the Labour party (LP) who polled 4,893; and Ogunsola Olutokunbo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who polled 2,125 votes, among others.

Speaking after the announcement, Akande-Sadipe said she dedicated her re-election to her late mother, Princess Bamidele Abiose Akande, and the entire people of the constituency.

In an appreciation speech made available to journalists by her media aide, Olamilekan Olusada, after her declaration as House of Representatives member-elect, the lawmaker said “today, I dedicate this victory to God Almighty, my late mother, my husband and my family who has sacrificed a lot to allow me do this. I dedicate this to all leaders of APC who have stood by me and all members of Oluyole Federal Constituency.”

While pledging to rededicate herself to the service of the people, Akande-Sadipe stated that she would ensure more gains of democracy were brought to Oluyole, expressing optimism that serving as a House of Representatives member in the administration of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, meant good-tidings for her constituency.

“My dear people of Oluyole Federal Constituency, permit me to thank God for this victory. I almost gave-up and lost hope, but you stood by me. I appreciate all members of Oluyole constituency for the show of solidarity and love, as was seen and exhibited during the course of the February 25 election and this supplementary election,” she said, adding that “this victory looked like such an impossible task, especially after what happened during the first election, and then my mother died. I could not see my mother, because I was trying to protect my mandate.

“As I have been re-elected to serve you at Abuja, I will put in my very best to push our cause before the House to ensure that the dividends of democracy and opportunities available to my office reach my constituency.”
In the meantime, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Dr. Adeniran Tella, has said the supplementary election conducted in the two federal constituencies in the state on Saturday was hitch-free.

He said this while addressing journalists after monitoring the exercise in the eight polling units spread across the two affected federal constituencies of Oluyole and Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East.

He said the supplementary election had been peaceful and free of any form of violence, adding that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines used in all the polling units worked perfectly.

Tella commended the voters in the concerned polling units for coming out to exercise their franchise.

Also commenting on the exercise, PDP Vice-Chairman (South-West), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, lauded the efforts of INEC for the smooth conduct of the supplementary election, adding that reports from all the polling units showed that the commission adequately prepared for the election with the BVAS machines working well.

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Meanwhile, the PDP candidate for the same position in Ibadan South-East/North-East Federal Constituency, Abass Agboworin, was also declared winner the re-run election, defeating closest rival, Dapo Lam-Adesina of the APC.

Agboworin, a current occupant of the seat, was declared elected after he polled 28,111 votes to win the supplementary election.

INEC Returning Officer for the constituency, Professor Benjamin Olley of the University of Ibadan, announced Agboworin as the winner at the Mapo Hall Collation Centre in Ibadan, saying “today, April 15, 2023. I, Professor Benjamin Olley, hereby, announce that Abass Agboworin of the PDP, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is declared the winner of the supplementary election into Ibadan North- East/South-East Federal Constituency of Oyo State.”