Voters in Osun, a key state in Nigeria's southwest, will choose their governor for a four-year term on July 16, 2022. This marks the last major election before the country goes to the polls next February to elect a new president. Ahead of Saturday's ballot, several debates have been held among the leading candidates, including the two front runners — incumbent Adegboyega Oyetola of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ademola Adeleke of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). AFP Fact Check has spot-checked claims made by the various contenders and found some to be false.

Osun is seen as a crucial battleground for next year's election when Nigerians elect a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari along with state and federal MPs and governors.

Incumbent Oyetola defeated PDP's Adeleke during the last ballot in 2018.

Other candidates running this year include Akin Ogunbiyi of the Accord Party, Yusuf Lasun of the Labour Party (LP) and Goke Omigbodun of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

In a debate held on July 6, 2022, Accord Party’s Ogunbiyi alleged the state government “has five [mining] licences” which are operated in partnership with “the Chinese”.

He also said Osun “has 26 commercially viable solid minerals”.

SDP’s Omigbodun then claimed during a discussion about health services that “47% of people in Osun state live below the poverty line, the worst in the federation”.

And, at an earlier debate organised by BBC Yoruba, Lasun of the Labour Party said he had...

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