As the August 15 governorship election in Osun State approaches, political parties are looking beyond their main candidates to the running mates who could play an important role in securing victory. Their political experience, grassroots connections, regional influence and relationships with voters may prove crucial on election day.
Choosing a running mate is more than just meeting a constitutional requirement. Political parties often use the position strategically to balance their tickets, attract support from different parts of the state and strengthen their chances of winning.
Osun has 2,339,223 registered voters, with several major towns representing important voting blocs. Osogbo and Olorunda have 290,767 registered voters, accounting for 12.43 per cent of the electorate, while the Ile-Ife axis has 250,969 voters, representing 10.72 per cent. Together, the two areas make up more than 23 per cent of registered voters.
Other major voting areas include Ilesa, with 176,190 registered voters; Ede, with 164,084; Iwo, with 106,814; Ikire, with 96,528; and Ikirun, with 94,870. This distribution means that no candidate can depend entirely on one political stronghold. Winning will require parties to build support across several parts of the state.
For the ruling Accord Party, Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is from Ede, retained Prince Kola Adewusi from Ile-Ife as his running mate. His selection is significant because Ile-Ife has one of the largest voting populations in the state.
Adewusi previously served as chairman of Ife Central Local Government under former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola. He has also held positions within the PDP in Osun State, including Special Adviser and Financial Secretary, before joining Adeleke’s administration.
Although Adewusi once faced a vote of no confidence from party members in Ife Federal Constituency over alleged anti-party activities, the decision was later withdrawn. His continued partnership with Adeleke has strengthened the perception of him as a loyal and experienced political ally. However, questions remain about how effectively he can mobilise voters in Ile-Ife.
The All Progressives Congress also looked towards Ile-Ife when selecting its running mate. The party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, is from Ikire, while his running mate, Prince Benjamin Kayode Adereti, is from Ile-Ife.
Adereti has a strong professional background. He studied engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University and received international training in telecommunications. He later became Head of Network Operations at MTN Nigeria. He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology.
His activities, however, go beyond his professional career. Adereti has supported various community initiatives, including youth employment, scholarships, JAMB and WAEC examinations, ICT training, healthcare programmes, boreholes and transformers. He has also supported widows and elderly residents.
Adereti previously contested the Ife Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives in 2023. Although he lost the election, his performance showed that he had significant support in the area. The APC will now be hoping to use that grassroots connection to strengthen its position in the governorship race.
The African Democratic Congress adopted a different strategy. Its candidate, Najeem Salam from Ejigbo, selected Mrs Yemisi Agiri, a retired nurse from Ila-Orangun, as his running mate.
Although Agiri entered politics only about two years ago, she has been involved in empowerment programmes aimed at women and girls. Her inclusion also gives the party an opportunity to highlight women’s participation in governance and attract additional support.
The Allied Peoples Movement candidate, Hon. Adewale Adebayo from Okuku, chose Jimoh Naheem from Ejigbo as his running mate. Naheem is a farmer and grassroots politician, and his selection reflects the party’s emphasis on local connections and community mobilisation.
The different choices made by the parties show how important running mates have become in Osun’s political calculations. For Accord, retaining Adewusi maintains the Ede-Ife political balance that supported the party’s previous victory.
For the APC, choosing Adereti is an attempt to strengthen its presence in Ile-Ife while expanding beyond Oyebamiji’s Ikire base. ADC and APM, meanwhile, are placing greater emphasis on inclusion, community representation and grassroots support.
Despite the importance of these major voting blocs, the election will not be decided by one town alone. More than three-quarters of registered voters are spread across other parts of Osun State, making statewide support and voter turnout equally important.
Osogbo, Olorunda and Ile-Ife are likely to receive significant attention because of their large voter populations, but candidates will also need to perform well across other towns and local government areas to secure victory.
Ultimately, the running mates could become some of the most influential figures in the election. While they may not receive as much attention as the governorship candidates, their political networks, community relationships and ability to mobilise voters could quietly determine who emerges as Osun’s next governor.
