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.

Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has presided over the signing of a $2 million supplementary lithium agreement between the state government and Diamond New Energy, following his recent visit to China.   The agreement was signed at the Nasarawa State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja on Friday, August 14, 2026. Sule said the deal would help keep the company’s lithium processing factory operational while protecting jobs created by the investment. > “We are going to keep your factory functional, and we also have an interest as license owners in whatever you are doing in your company. More importantly, the people you have employed will remain employed,” the governor said. According to Channels Television, the governor said the state moved quickly to secure the relevant mining licence to ensure continued access to raw materials and prevent another party from obtaining the licence. The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Margaret Elayo, expressed appreciation to the investors and said the partnership could encourage further investment in Nasarawa. The signing was witnessed by officials from the state Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA), Diamond New Energy and Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited. Sule also urged the company to maintain peaceful relations with host communities and contribute to their development. He disclosed that payments due to the state under the agreement would be made in foreign currency directly to Nasarawa Mining Company Limited, with the terms subject to periodic review. Agreement builds on 2024 mining deal NASIDA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ibrahim Abdullahi said the state government had signed an exclusive mining cooperation agreement with the company in 2024. He said the partnership had contributed to the completion of what he described as the largest lithium processing refinery in West Africa. The supplementary agreement allows the continued supply of lithium materials from the state government’s mining block to serve as feedstock for the refinery. Abdullahi said the arrangement was expected to create further employment opportunities for young people and women in Nasarawa. He added that the state would receive $2 million immediately upon signing, with additional revenues expected under the agreement. A representative of Diamond New Energy, David Siong, said the company remained committed to expanding its operations in Nasarawa, including local processing of resources, job creation and supporting economic development in host communities. The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Isaac Danladi, also presented copies of a deed of assignment transferring the mining rights and interests of Nasarawa Mining Company within 3.5 mining cadastral units in Endo, Nasarawa Local Government Area, to Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited.

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has raised concerns over the tense political atmosphere ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, warning that violence, intimidation and other electoral threats could undermine the poll.   Speaking at a press briefing in Osogbo on Friday, the organisation said it had monitored reports of politically motivated clashes, attacks and intimidation involving political actors and their supporters. The Situation Room also cited tensions involving motor parks and transport unions, allegations of political thuggery, deaths and arrests of political actors, as well as increasingly hostile rhetoric from political parties and their supporters. According to the observers, the situation is particularly worrying because the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has identified 385 election flashpoints across 13 local government areas as being at high risk of violence. The organisation also expressed concern over the delayed delivery of sensitive election materials. It said the materials arrived at about 8:30pm on Thursday, August 13, following the reprinting of ballot papers to accommodate the candidate of the Social Democratic Party. The Situation Room urged authorities to ensure adequate protection for election personnel, materials and facilities, particularly following the reported attack on an INEC distribution centre in Odo-Otin Local Government Area, where Permanent Voter Cards and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices were reportedly stolen. It further called on security agencies to act professionally and within the law, while urging the police to properly document cases of violence, electoral infractions and vote-buying, identify those responsible and share relevant information with INEC. The observers also urged political parties and their supporters to avoid actions capable of undermining the election, referring to allegations of political violence and rivalry involving the Accord Party and the All Progressives Congress. The organisation appealed to Osun residents to protect their democratic rights by rejecting intimidation, political thuggery and disinformation. The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room said it would continue monitoring the security and electoral environment and document incidents that threaten the credibility, peacefulness and integrity of the electoral process.