By Our Reporter
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party has won the 2026 Osun State governorship election, defeating his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.
Adeleke secured 511,067 votes across the 30 local government areas of the state, while Oyebamiji polled 444,815 votes, giving the incumbent a margin of 66,252 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.
The results showed a closely contested election between Adeleke and Oyebamiji, although Adeleke emerged ahead both in the total number of votes and the spread of local government victories.
Adeleke won 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victories in 11 LGAs. The results were collated following Saturday’s governorship election across the state.
The governor recorded some of his strongest performances in Ede North, Ede South, Osogbo, Ife East, Ife Central and Iwo.
In Ede North, Adeleke polled 35,427 votes against Oyebamiji’s 10,283, while in Ede South he secured 26,188 votes compared with the APC candidate’s 6,219.
Adeleke also won Osogbo with 36,480 votes against Oyebamiji’s 30,474. In Ife East, he scored 27,201 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who polled 18,600, while Iwo produced 27,085 votes for Adeleke against 19,660 for the APC candidate.
Oyebamiji, however, put up a strong challenge and secured several important local government areas for the APC.
The APC candidate won Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakumosa West, Irewole, Atakumosa East, Isokan, Ola-Oluwa, Ife South and Olorunda, among others.
One of Oyebamiji’s strongest performances came in Irewole, where he polled 29,972 votes against Adeleke’s 10,934. In Olorunda, he narrowly defeated the incumbent governor with 24,671 votes to Adeleke’s 23,514.
Despite the APC’s victories in 11 LGAs, Adeleke’s larger margins in several densely populated areas gave him the overall advantage.
The election therefore underscored the importance of vote margins, rather than simply the number of local government areas won, in determining the final outcome.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) subsequently declared Adeleke the winner of the election after the completion of the collation process in Osogbo.
The victory gives Adeleke a fresh mandate to govern Osun State for another term and represents another major political setback for the APC in the state.
For Oyebamiji, the 444,815 votes and victories across 11 LGAs demonstrate substantial support for the APC, although the 66,252-vote deficit ultimately proved decisive.
Adeleke’s victory is also expected to have wider political implications as political parties and blocs begin positioning themselves ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
With the final results now declared, attention will shift to the political implications of the outcome and how both the Accord Party and APC respond to the result.
