Governor Ademola Adeleke has secured another four years in office after winning the 2026 Osun State governorship election, defeating his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The election was held on Saturday, August 15, 2026, across the 30 local government areas of Osun State. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner in the early hours of Sunday, August 16, after the collation of results at the state collation centre in Osogbo.
Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji of the APC secured 444,815 votes. The result gave Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
The returning officer for the election, Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, formally declared Adeleke the winner after the results from the state’s 30 local government areas had been collated. He stated:
“Ademola Nurudeen is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”
Adeleke’s victory was also significant because of the number of local government areas won by the two leading candidates. The incumbent governor secured victory in 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won the remaining 11.
The outcome marks another stage in Adeleke’s political journey in Osun State. He first won the governorship election in July 2022, when he contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defeated the then-incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola of the APC.
In that election, held on July 16, 2022, Adeleke received 403,371 votes, compared with Oyetola’s 375,027 votes. INEC declared him winner on July 17, 2022.
The 2026 election, however, came with a major political difference: Adeleke was no longer contesting under the PDP. He contested for his second term under the Accord Party, making his victory particularly notable in the state’s changing political landscape.
The election attracted attention beyond Osun because it was one of Nigeria’s final major off-cycle elections before the 2027 general elections. Political observers had viewed the contest as an important indication of voter sentiment and the strength of political parties ahead of the next national election.
Following the declaration, political leaders across the country began congratulating Adeleke on his victory. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, and several serving governors were among those who congratulated him.
The result also represents a wider margin for Adeleke compared with his first victory in 2022. While he defeated Oyetola by 28,344 votes in 2022, his advantage over Oyebamiji increased to 66,252 votes in the 2026 contest.
With the election now concluded, Adeleke faces another four-year term and the responsibility of delivering on the expectations of Osun voters who have returned him to office.
His re-election also means Osun will continue under his leadership as the state approaches another important period in Nigeria’s political calendar. For Adeleke, the election is no longer about securing the mandate. The next challenge will be turning that mandate into tangible development and convincing the people of Osun that their decision to return him to office was the right one.
© 2026 Aliu Azeema | TalkAfricang.com
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