INEC Declares Adeleke Winner of 2026 Osun Governorship Election

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, August 16, 2026, declared the incumbent Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, winner of the 2026 governorship election held a day earlier.

Mr Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party, defeated his closest challenger, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, to secure a second term in office.

The governor polled 511,067 votes, while Mr Oyebamiji scored 444,815 votes, giving Mr Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Mr Najeem Folasayo Salaam, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.

Mr Salaam had entered the election as one of the candidates expected to potentially emerge as a third force, particularly following the backing he received from former Osun Governor and former Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola.

However, that expectation did not translate into the numbers needed to seriously challenge the two leading candidates.

Mr Adeleke’s victory means he becomes only the third governor in Osun State’s history to win a second term through an election.

He joins Mr Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Mr Aregbesola in the state’s political history, although Mr Oyinlola’s tenure was later cut short following a court decision that nullified his election over irregularities.

Mr Aregbesola subsequently succeeded Oyinlola and went on to secure a second term, completing eight years in office.

Mr Adeleke’s re-election comes after a fiercely contested campaign marked by intense competition and reported violence from competing parties.

Despite those challenges, the governor consolidated his support across the state and secured a decisive victory over the APC candidate, extending his administration for another four years in the southwest states.