OSOGBO — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the incumbent Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, winner of the 2026 governorship election, securing another four-year term in office.
Adeleke, who contested the election on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 444,815 votes.
The victory gives Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
The State Returning Officer, Joshua Ogunwole, announced the result at the INEC State Collation Centre in Osogbo on Sunday morning after results from all 30 local government areas were collated.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.
According to the final figures, 2,339,544 voters were registered for the election, while 1,010,684 voters were accredited.
A total of 1,005,800 votes were cast, comprising 985,079 valid votes and 20,721 rejected votes.
Adeleke Wins 19 LGAs
Adeleke won in 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji carried the remaining 11.
The Accord candidate won in Boluwaduro, Ede South, Ife North, Ilesa West, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Orolu, Osogbo, Oriade, Odo-Otin, Ife East, Ifelodun, Iwo, Ede North, Ila, Aiyedire, Egbedore, Aiyedaade and Ejigbo.
Oyebamiji won in Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakunmosa West, Irewole, Atakunmosa East, Isokan, Ola-Oluwa, Ife South and Olorunda.
Salaam of the ADC failed to win any of the 30 local government areas.
Adeleke Dominates Traditional Strongholds
The governor recorded some of his biggest margins in areas regarded as his traditional strongholds.
In Ede North, Adeleke secured 35,427 votes, against Oyebamiji’s 10,283. He also won decisively in Ede South, where he polled 26,188 votes against the APC candidate’s 6,219.
In Osogbo, the state capital, Adeleke defeated Oyebamiji with 36,480 votes to 30,474.
Other notable victories for Adeleke came in Ife East, where he scored 27,201 votes against 18,600; Iwo, with 27,085 against 19,660; Egbedore, where he polled 19,278 against 11,194; and Oriade, where he secured 21,343 votes against Oyebamiji’s 14,863.
Oyebamiji, however, recorded a strong showing in several local government areas, including Irewole, where he polled 29,972 votes against Adeleke’s 10,934.
The APC candidate also won in Boripe, Atakunmosa East, Atakunmosa West, Ife South, Ilesa East, Irepodun, Isokan, Obokun, Ola-Oluwa and Olorunda.
From 2022 Victory to Re-election
Adeleke’s latest victory extends his political journey in Osun State after he first won the governorship election in 2022.
He contested that election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defeated the then incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola of the APC.
Four years later, Adeleke has secured another term, this time under the banner of the Accord Party, after defeating the APC’s Oyebamiji by more than 66,000 votes.
