BREAKING: INEC Declares Adeleke Winner of Osun Governorship Election, Secures Second Term

• INEC has declared Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party winner of the 2026 Osun State governorship election after concluding the collation of results from all 30 local government areas.

• Adeleke defeated APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji with a clear statewide margin, polling 511,067 votes against the APC’s 444,815, while ADC’s Najeem Salaam finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.

• The incumbent cemented his re-election by winning 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, overcoming a spirited challenge from the opposition in one of Nigeria’s most closely watched off-cycle elections.

• The victory hands Adeleke a fresh four-year mandate and reinforces the Accord Party’s political dominance in Osun following months of intense campaigns, legal disputes and a fiercely contested electoral battle.

August 16, () — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party winner of the 2026 Osun State governorship election, securing the incumbent a second four-year term after the conclusion of the statewide collation of results.

had earlier projected Adeleke as the winner of Saturday’s governorship election.

The official declaration was made on Sunday by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, following the collation of results from all 30 local government areas of the state.

According to the official results announced by the commission, Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.

The final tally gave Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes, confirming his victory in one of Nigeria’s most keenly contested off-cycle governorship elections.

Adeleke Dominates Across Osun

A breakdown of the official results showed that Adeleke won 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji carried the remaining 11 councils.

The governor recorded commanding victories in major voting centres, including Ede North, Ede South, Osogbo, Iwo, Ife East, Ife Central, Ifelodun, Oriade, Egbedore, Odo-Otin, Orolu, Ayedire, Ila, Boluwaduro, Ifedayo, Ayedaade and Ejigbo, among others.

His strongest performances came from his political base in Ede, where he secured overwhelming victories in both Ede North and Ede South, while also posting impressive margins in Osogbo and other densely populated local government areas.

Although the APC retained control of several traditional strongholds, including Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakumosa East, Atakumosa West, Irewole, Ife South, Isokan and Olaoluwa, the victories were insufficient to overcome Adeleke’s statewide advantage.

Victory Follows Months of Intense Campaigns

The Osun governorship election attracted national attention after months of vigorous campaigns, political realignments and legal disputes among the major political parties.

Voting was generally peaceful across the state, although the exercise witnessed isolated complaints from political parties over the conduct of security personnel and the collation process. During the exercise, Adeleke appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure that security agencies protected the integrity of the election and prevented any disruption of collation centres.

Earlier in the collation process, results uploaded to INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal consistently placed the incumbent ahead of his closest rival, a trend that was ultimately reflected in the commission’s final declaration.

With INEC’s announcement, Adeleke has now secured a fresh mandate to continue leading Osun State for another four years, a victory expected to shape the state’s political landscape ahead of future electoral contests.

The declaration also marks a significant milestone for the Accord Party, strengthening its position in Osun politics and reaffirming the confidence reposed in the incumbent governor by a majority of voters across the state..