Adeleke Wins Osun Governorship Election With 511,067 Votes
Osun State Governor and candidate of the Accord Party, Ademola Adeleke, has secured a second term in office after being declared winner of the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
Adeleke emerged victorious with 511,067 votes, defeating his closest challenger, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
The result places Adeleke ahead by approximately 66,252 votes, in a keenly contested election that attracted 15 governorship candidates across the State. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) finished third with 17,180 votes.
The election, held on Saturday, August 15, 2026, was conducted across Osun State’s 30 local government areas and 332 wards.
According to figures compiled from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Adeleke secured 50.8 per cent of the total votes cast, while Oyebamiji accounted for about 44.2 per cent. The remaining candidates collectively shared the balance.
Global Mirror News gathered that the incumbent governor won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while the APC candidate carried 11 local government areas.
The victory marks a significant political development in Osun State, particularly because Adeleke contested under the Accord Party, following his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the election.
It also represents the first time the Accord Party has won the Osun governorship since its establishment in 2006.
The declaration followed the collation of results from the 30 local government areas at the INEC headquarters in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
Earlier in the collation process, Adeleke had opened a substantial lead over Oyebamiji, with results from the various local government areas pointing towards a decisive victory for the incumbent.
Premium Times had reported during the final collation that Adeleke was ahead of Oyebamiji by more than 60,000 votes, with the incumbent winning 19 LGAs against the APC candidate’s 11.
Record Registration, Low Turnout
Despite the intense political contest, voter participation remained relatively low compared with the number of registered voters.
INEC figures showed that Osun had 2,339,233 registered voters, the highest number recorded in the state’s governorship election history. About 81.50 per cent of registered voters collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
However, only 1,005,800 votes were recorded, representing roughly 43 per cent of registered voters.
INEC data further showed that 20,721 ballots were rejected, accounting for about 2.06 per cent of the total votes cast.
Election Witnesses Mixed Experiences
While some voters and observers described the election as generally peaceful and orderly, Global Mirror News gathered that the exercise was not entirely free from controversy.
Reports emerged of alleged vote-buying, voter inducement, intimidation and harassment of some accredited observers.
There were also reports of BVAS malfunctions at some polling units, which reportedly caused delays in voter accreditation and the commencement of voting.
The issues are expected to form part of the wider assessment of the election by observers and relevant stakeholders.
A New Political Chapter for Osun
Adeleke’s victory gives the governor another opportunity to consolidate his administration’s programmes and policies while extending his political influence in the state.
The result also represents a major setback for the APC, which had mobilised prominent party leaders and political structures in an attempt to wrest control of Osun from the incumbent.
With Adeleke now securing another mandate, attention is expected to shift towards governance, delivery of campaign promises and the political implications of the result ahead of the 2027 general elections.
For Osun voters, however, the bigger question after the celebration and political contest will be how the renewed mandate translates into improved infrastructure, economic opportunities, workers’ welfare, education, healthcare and other areas affecting the daily lives of residents.
Global Mirror News reports that the outcome has firmly placed Adeleke at the centre of Osun’s political landscape as he prepares for another term following his victory at the polls.
