Governor Ademola Adeleke has won the 2026 Osun State governorship election, securing a second four-year term after defeating his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner at the collation centre in Osogbo early on Sunday, August 16.
Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji recorded 444,815 votes. The result gives Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) finished third with 17,180 votes.
The Returning Officer, Professor Joshua Ogunwole, declared Adeleke elected after confirming that he had satisfied the requirements of the law.
According to the figures announced by INEC, 1,010,684 voters were accredited, while 1,005,800 votes were cast. A total of 985,079 valid votes were recorded across the state’s 30 local government areas.
Adeleke’s Second-Term Victory
The victory marks Adeleke’s second consecutive governorship win in Osun. He first won the state’s governorship election in 2022 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defeating then-incumbent Gboyega Oyetola of the APC.
However, the governor entered the 2026 contest under a different political platform after leaving the PDP for the Accord Party in December.
Explaining his decision at the time, Adeleke said Accord’s emphasis on welfarism aligned with his administration’s focus on the welfare of citizens and workers.
His re-election also comes after a closely fought campaign against the APC, with both parties accusing each other of political violence and destruction of property ahead of the poll.
Security Tightened Across Osun
Authorities deployed 15,000 police personnel and 30 commissioners of police across the state as part of efforts to maintain security during the election.
A police helicopter and drone unit were also deployed for aerial surveillance.
President Bola Tinubu had directed security agencies to provide adequate protection at polling units and urged INEC to ensure the election was conducted transparently and fairly.
Election Faced Last-Minute Challenges
The poll was also preceded by a number of political and logistical developments.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had frozen an account belonging to the Osun State Government shortly before the election. President Tinubu subsequently directed the anti-graft agency to unfreeze the account, citing concerns about the timing of the action.
A court order directing INEC to include the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the election also created additional logistical pressure for the electoral commission.
INEC said it subsequently printed the required ballot papers and moved sensitive materials to the Central Bank ahead of the election.
The declaration of Adeleke as winner brings to an end the 2026 Osun governorship contest, which featured 15 political parties.
