…Accord Candidate Defeats APC’s Oyebamiji by 66,252 Votes
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the incumbent Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, the winner of the August 15, 2026 governorship election, securing a fresh mandate to continue governing the state for another four years.
Adeleke, who contested the election on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who garnered 444,815 votes.
The victory gives Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes, underscoring the strength of his support across the state.
The results followed the collation of votes from all 30 Local Government Areas of Osun State.
The State Returning Officer for the election, Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, formally declared Adeleke the winner after the completion of the collation exercise in Osogbo.
In the final declaration, the Returning Officer affirmed that Adeleke had satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes in the election, thereby returning him elected as Governor of Osun State.
The election was keenly contested, with Adeleke recording victories in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while the APC candidate, Oyebamiji, won 11 local government areas.
The ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke’s victory represents a significant political milestone for the governor, who first assumed office in November 2022 after defeating the then-incumbent APC governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, in the 2022 governorship election.
The 2026 election therefore marks Adeleke’s successful bid to retain the Osun State governorship, as he prepares to commence another term in office.
His latest victory was driven by strong performances in several parts of the state, including his home base in Ede and other major local government areas where the Accord candidate recorded substantial margins.
Reports from the collation exercise showed particularly strong performances for Adeleke in Ede North, Ede South, Osogbo, Ife East, Ife Central, Iwo, Oriade and Egbedore, among others.
The result also came after a closely watched campaign period during which the major contenders signed a peace accord and pledged to support a peaceful electoral process.
With INEC’s declaration, Adeleke has secured a fresh mandate from the people of Osun State, setting the stage for another four years of his administration.
The victory has already triggered celebrations among supporters in parts of the state, particularly in Osogbo, following the official announcement of the result.
The outcome of the election is expected to have significant political implications beyond Osun State, particularly as political parties and stakeholders begin preparations for Nigeria’s wider political contest ahead of the 2027 general elections.
