![Osun Election 2026: Adeleke Wins Second Term, Defeats APC’s Oyebamiji [Report]](https://brazingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ok2.png "Osun Election 2026: Adeleke Wins Second Term, Defeats APC’s Oyebamiji [Report]")
Governor Ademola Adeleke has secured a second term as governor of Osun State after defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke, the candidate of the Accord Party, winner after the final collation of results from the state’s 30 local government areas. Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji secured 444,815 votes, giving the incumbent governor a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
The result represents a major political victory for Adeleke, who will now continue in office for another four years.
Adeleke Wins 19 LGAs
The election was closely contested across Osun, but Adeleke emerged ahead in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11 LGAs.
The result demonstrates the strength of Adeleke’s support across a significant portion of the state and allowed him to build a sizeable statewide advantage despite strong competition from the APC.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.
Final result
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Ademola Adeleke | Accord | 511,067 |
| Bola Oyebamiji | APC | 444,815 |
| Najeem Salaam | ADC | 17,180 |
Adeleke’s margin over Oyebamiji was 66,252 votes, making the contest substantially more competitive than a landslide but still giving the incumbent a clear victory.
A Major Turnaround for Adeleke
Adeleke’s victory is particularly significant because the 2026 contest came after a highly competitive campaign in which the APC mounted a serious challenge to his administration.
Oyebamiji entered the race with the backing of the APC structure and support from prominent party figures. The campaign also featured internal political realignments, including a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun led by former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, which declared support for Oyebamiji shortly before the election.
Despite those developments, Adeleke succeeded in retaining the governorship.
His victory also means that the incumbent will remain in control of Osun as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general election, giving the outcome significance beyond the state itself.
Adeleke Celebrates Victory
Following the declaration, Adeleke thanked the people of Osun and described his re-election as a vote of confidence in his administration.
The governor also outlined an ambitious economic agenda for his second term, saying his administration intends to move Osun from what he described as a predominantly civil-service economy towards an industrial economy.
That agenda will likely become one of the major benchmarks against which his second term is judged.
The governor’s victory was also celebrated by supporters in several parts of the state. Residents took to the streets in Osogbo, the state capital, and Ede, Adeleke’s hometown, with supporters singing, dancing and celebrating the outcome.
Political Reactions
The result has already generated reactions from politicians across Nigeria.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar congratulated Adeleke and said the election reflected the choice of the people of Osun through the ballot box.
Former Anambra State governor Peter Obi also joined those who congratulated Adeleke on his re-election.
There have also been reports that President Bola Tinubu congratulated Adeleke following the election. According to an Accord Party chieftain, Pelumi Olajengbesi, Tinubu had contacted Adeleke before INEC formally announced the final result.
The development is politically notable because the APC is the ruling party at the federal level and had hoped to capture Osun from the incumbent.
What the Result Means for APC
For the APC, the defeat represents a setback in its attempt to expand its control in the South-West ahead of the 2027 elections.
The party had presented Oyebamiji as its candidate after a campaign focused on taking over the state government. However, the final result shows that the APC could not translate its organisational strength into enough votes to unseat Adeleke.
The party’s performance nevertheless demonstrates that it remains a major political force in Osun, having won 11 of the state’s 30 LGAs.
The 66,252-vote gap means the APC faces a substantial but not insurmountable challenge if it intends to regain the state in future elections.
The 2027 Angle
The Osun election is already being viewed through the lens of Nigeria’s 2027 political contest.
Although a governorship election is fundamentally a state-level contest, the outcome provides political parties with important information about voter sentiment, campaign structures and the effectiveness of grassroots mobilisation.
Adeleke’s victory gives the opposition-aligned Accord Party control of Osun going into the period leading to 2027, while the APC will have to examine why its candidate could not convert its support into a statewide victory.
The election may therefore become an important reference point in the broader political calculations ahead of the next presidential and National Assembly elections.
A Test Begins for Adeleke’s Second Term
With the election now decided, attention will shift from campaigning to governance.
Adeleke’s second-term administration will face pressure to deliver on promises relating to infrastructure, employment, education, healthcare, industrial development and economic growth.
His pledge to transform Osun into an industrial state will be particularly important because voters will ultimately judge his second term by tangible improvements in their daily lives.
For the APC, the task will be to rebuild and strengthen its grassroots structure, while for Adeleke and the Accord Party, maintaining the coalition that delivered the victory could prove just as important as winning the election itself.
Conclusion
The 2026 Osun governorship election has ended with Ademola Adeleke retaining the state’s top political office.
With 511,067 votes, Adeleke defeated APC’s Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes, while ADC’s Najeem Salaam finished third with 17,180 votes. Adeleke also won 19 of the state’s 30 LGAs.
The victory gives Adeleke another four years in office and places Osun firmly in the political spotlight as Nigeria moves towards 2027.
For now, the message from the ballot box is clear: Adeleke remains the Governor of Osun State.
