Hon. Alasoro Ridwan Adeleke has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Oyo State House of Assembly, Ibadan Southwest Constituency I, following a tightly contested primary election held across five wards yesterday.
The keenly contested primary, which was marred by controversy over alleged consensus arrangements, ended with Alasoro Ridwan securing a narrow victory over his closest rival, Olasunkanmi Akere, while Tolani Adigun placed third.
According to unofficial results collated from the five wards where voting took place, Alasoro Ridwan polled a total of 455 votes to defeat Olasunkanmi Akere, who garnered 445 votes, while Tolani Adigun secured 409 votes. A total of 1,309 votes were recorded in the exercise. Monitored by the correspondent of Oduduwa News who visited the scene, Ward 6 had no voting record as the primary election was disrupted when party faithfuls engaged in fisticuffs leading to the abscondment of the INEC official sent to monitor the process.
Ward-by-ward breakdown showed a dramatic contest among the three aspirants. In Ward 1, Olasunkanmi Akere dominated with 200 votes, while Alasoro Ridwan and Tolani Adigun polled 1 vote each. In Ward 2, Tolani Adigun led with 187 votes, followed closely by Akere with 77 votes, while Alasoro Ridwan secured 76 votes.
In Ward 3, Alasoro Ridwan gained momentum, polling 98 votes against Tolani Adigun’s 135 votes and Akere’s 77 votes. Ward 4 saw Tolani Adigun maintain a strong showing with 85 votes, while Akere secured 78 votes and Alasoro Ridwan got 22 votes.
The decisive turnaround came in Ward 5, where Alasoro Ridwan delivered a commanding performance, securing 258 votes, far ahead of Akere’s 13 votes and Tolani Adigun’s 1 vote, ultimately sealing his victory.
The outcome, however, has sparked conversations within party circles, as some stakeholders raised concerns over an earlier consensus arrangement reportedly proposed before the primary. Despite the controversy, party faithfuls declared the process valid and affirmed Alasoro Ridwan as the duly elected APC flagbearer for the constituency.
In his reaction, Alasoro Ridwan expressed gratitude to party delegates, supporters, and stakeholders for their confidence in his leadership, describing the victory as “a call to greater service.”
“This victory is for the people of Ibadan Southwest Constituency I. It reflects their trust and belief in our shared vision for quality representation and grassroots development. The journey continues, and together we will build a stronger and more prosperous constituency,” he said.
Party supporters have since congratulated the candidate, describing his emergence as a testament to resilience, commitment, and grassroots acceptance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
