BREAKING: Adeleke Defeats APC’s Oyebamiji, Wins Second Term as Osun Governor

Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party has been declared the winner of the 2026 Osun State governorship election, securing a fresh four-year mandate after defeating his closest challenger, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.

Adeleke was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the early hours of Sunday at the commission’s collation centre in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, following the conclusion of the collation of results from all 30 Local Government Areas of the state.

The incumbent governor polled 511,067 votes to emerge victorious, while Oyebamiji secured 444,815 votes, leaving a margin of 66,252 votes between the two leading candidates.

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

The result marked a decisive victory for Adeleke, who secured the highest number of votes across the state despite facing a strong challenge from the APC. The governor won 19 of Osun’s 30 LGAs, while Oyebamiji carried the remaining 11 LGAs.

Adeleke’s Strong Performance

Adeleke’s victory was powered by strong performances in several key local government areas, including Osogbo, Ede North, Ede South, Ife East, Ife Central, Iwo, Egbedore, Oriade, Odo Otin, Ila and other parts of the state.

In Osogbo, the state capital, Adeleke polled 36,480 votes, defeating Oyebamiji, who scored 30,474 votes. In Ede North, the governor secured 35,427 votes against the APC candidate’s 10,283, while in Ede South, Adeleke recorded 26,188 votes against Oyebamiji’s 6,219. He also recorded notable victories in Iwo, Ife East, Ife Central, Oriade and Egbedore, accumulating substantial margins in several of those councils. Oyebamiji, however, demonstrated significant strength in several areas, winning key LGAs including Irewole, Boripe, Ilesa East, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakunmosa East, Isokan, Ola-Oluwa, Ife South and Olorunda, among others.

A Closely Watched Election

The election was one of the most closely watched governorship contests in the South-West, coming after months of intense political mobilisation, defections, allegations and counter-allegations between the major political camps.

Adeleke entered the contest under the Accord Party, having left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in December 2025. He subsequently secured the Accord ticket to seek re-election, turning the poll into a major test of his political strength outside the PDP platform under which he won his first term.

Oyebamiji, meanwhile, contested on the platform of the APC and emerged as Adeleke’s principal challenger in the election. A total of 15 political parties participated in the governorship election, although the contest was largely dominated by Adeleke, Oyebamiji and ADC candidate Najeem Salaam.

Tension, Vote-Buying and Election-Day Challenges

The election was conducted against the backdrop of heightened political tension and concerns over violence and the credibility of the electoral process. Before the poll, civil society organisations and other stakeholders had raised concerns about political violence, intimidation and vote-buying. More than 2.3 million voters were registered in Osun, with the electorate spread across 30 LGAs, 332 wards and 3,763 polling units.

On election day, observers and media reports documented cases of alleged vote-buying, delays in the arrival of election officials, glitches involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), as well as isolated incidents of violence and intimidation in some locations.

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development reported alleged cases of vote-buying in parts of the state, while the Kimpact Development Initiative also reported delays, BVAS challenges and suspected incidents of vote trading among the polling units it monitored. Despite the challenges, voting and the subsequent collation process proceeded across the state, culminating in the final announcement at the INEC collation centre in Osogbo.

Adeleke Secures Another Four Years

With the declaration, Adeleke secures a second consecutive term as governor of Osun State and will continue to lead the state for another four years. His victory also represents a significant political achievement, having successfully defended his seat against the APC while contesting under a different political platform from the one that brought him to power in 2022.

For Oyebamiji and the APC, the result ends a fiercely fought campaign in which the opposition candidate won 11 LGAs but ultimately fell short of the statewide votes required to unseat the incumbent.

The final result announced by INEC is:

Accord — Ademola Adeleke: 511,067 votes

APC — Bola Oyebamiji: 444,815 votes

ADC — Najeem Salaam: 17,180 votes

Adeleke therefore returns to the Bola Ige House for another four-year term as Governor of Osun State. MeridianSpy will continue to bring you verified updates and developments from Osun State as reactions to the election and the result unfold.