By: Peter Emmanuel |
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party has been declared the winner of the 2026 Osun State governorship election, defeating his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, by 66,252 votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner on Sunday after the completion of the collation of results from the 30 Local Government Areas of the state.
The State Returning Officer for the election, Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, announced the final result at the INEC State Collation Centre in Osogbo.
Declaring the result, Ogunwole said Adeleke had satisfied the requirements of the law and was therefore declared the winner and returned elected.
Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji secured 444,815 votes, giving the incumbent governor a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
The result followed a closely contested election in which the two leading candidates dominated the results across the state, with Adeleke winning 19 LGAs while Oyebamiji secured 11.
Adeleke Builds Lead Before Final Declaration
Before the official declaration, results from the 30 LGAs had already placed Adeleke ahead of Oyebamiji as the collation progressed at the INEC state collation centre.
The early results showed the incumbent recording strong performances in several parts of the state, including Osogbo, Ede North, Ede South, Ife East, Ife Central and Iwo.
In Osogbo, Adeleke polled 36,480 votes against Oyebamiji’s 30,474, while in Ede North, he secured 35,427 votes against the APC candidate’s 10,283.
Adeleke also recorded a wide margin in Ede South, where he polled 26,188 votes against Oyebamiji’s 6,219.
In Ife East, the governor secured 27,201 votes, while Oyebamiji polled 18,600. Adeleke also won Ife Central with 21,171 votes against the APC candidate’s 15,913.
Other notable victories came in Ilesa West, where Adeleke scored 16,196 votes against Oyebamiji’s 12,756, and Egbedore, where he polled 19,278 votes against 11,194.
The steady accumulation of votes from Adeleke’s strongholds helped him maintain his lead as results from the remaining LGAs were announced.
Adeleke Wins 19 LGAs, APC Takes 11
The final LGA results showed Adeleke winning 19 of the 30 LGAs, while Oyebamiji emerged victorious in 11.
Adeleke won Boluwaduro, Ede South, Ife North, Ilesa West, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Orolu, Osogbo, Oriade, Odo-Otin, Ife East, Ifelodun, Iwo, Ede North, Ila, Ayedire, Egbedore, Ayedaade and Ejigbo.
Some of Adeleke’s strongest performances came from Ede North, Ede South, Ife East and Osogbo, where he built sizeable vote advantages over his closest challenger.
In Ede North, for instance, Adeleke’s 35,427 votes gave him a margin of more than 25,000 votes over Oyebamiji.
The governor also recorded a significant advantage in Ede South, where he secured 26,188 votes against the APC candidate’s 6,219.
The result from Osogbo was closer, with Adeleke polling 36,480 votes against Oyebamiji’s 30,474, but the incumbent still emerged ahead in the state capital.
The 19–11 LGA split ultimately gave Adeleke an advantage not only in the overall vote count but also in the geographical spread of his support across the state.
Oyebamiji Wins 11 LGAs Despite Overall Defeat
Oyebamiji secured victories in 11 LGAs, demonstrating the strength of the APC in several parts of the state despite losing the overall contest.
The APC candidate won Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakumosa West, Irewole, Atakumosa East, Isokan, Ola-Oluwa, Ife South and Olorunda.
In Ilesa East, Oyebamiji polled 16,208 votes against Adeleke’s 12,280, while in Boripe he recorded 19,963 votes against the governor’s 12,448.
The APC candidate also won Irepodun with 15,713 votes against Adeleke’s 14,504, and Obokun with 16,120 votes against 12,023.
One of Oyebamiji’s strongest performances came in Irewole, where he secured 29,972 votes, compared with Adeleke’s 10,934.
He also won Atakumosa West with 10,037 votes against Adeleke’s 7,479, and Atakumosa East with 9,936 votes against the governor’s 7,872.
In Olorunda, Oyebamiji narrowly defeated Adeleke, polling 24,671 votes against 23,514, while in Ife South he secured 14,678 votes against Adeleke’s 13,507.
Despite these victories, the APC candidate could not close the overall gap created by Adeleke’s stronger performances across 19 LGAs.
ADC’s Salaam Finishes Third
Najeem Folasayo Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) finished third in the election with 17,180 votes.
The result placed him far behind the two leading candidates, confirming the election as largely a two-way contest between Adeleke and Oyebamiji.
Other candidates who participated in the election included Adeagbo Yemisi Yetunde of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Akinade Adekunle Omoyele of the Action Alliance (AA), and candidates of other political parties.
Although 15 political parties participated in the election, Adeleke and Oyebamiji dominated the results across the state.
The figures from the LGAs showed that the two candidates accounted for the overwhelming majority of votes cast, while the other candidates struggled to make a significant impact in the final tally.
Salaam’s third-place finish also reflected the difficulty faced by smaller parties in breaking the dominance of the two leading political camps during the election.
The final result therefore confirmed Adeleke and Oyebamiji as the clear front-runners in the contest, with the incumbent eventually securing the larger share of the votes.
Adeleke Secures Second Term After Decisive Victory
Adeleke’s victory means he will continue as Governor of Osun State for another four-year term.
The result gives the governor a fresh mandate after a closely fought campaign in which his administration faced a strong challenge from the APC.
His re-election also means the Accord Party will retain control of the Osun State Government House for another term.
For Oyebamiji and the APC, the 11 LGAs won represent significant areas of support that could shape the party’s political strategy going forward.
The election was preceded by months of intense campaigns and political mobilisation across the state, with both major contenders seeking to consolidate their support among voters.
The final result, however, gave Adeleke the advantage in both the total number of votes and the number of LGAs won.
With INEC’s declaration, the uncertainty surrounding the outcome has ended, and Adeleke now has a fresh four-year mandate to continue his administration and pursue his programmes across Osun State.
