Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party has won the Osun governorship election, securing a second term after defeating his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Oyebamiji, in the election held across the state on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner on Sunday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, following the completion of results collation from the state’s 30 local government areas.
Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji recorded 444,815 votes, giving the incumbent a lead of 66,252 votes. African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salaam finished third with 17,180 votes.
The result extends Adeleke’s tenure beyond his first four-year term and gives the incumbent another mandate to govern the state.
Adeleke wins 19 of 30 LGAs
A major feature of the Osun governorship election was Adeleke’s ability to maintain a broad geographical spread of support.
The Accord candidate won in 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji carried 11.
Adeleke’s winning LGAs included:
- Boluwaduro
- Ede South
- Ife North
- Ilesa West
- Ifedayo
- Ife Central
- Orolu
- Osogbo
- Oriade
- Odo-Otin
- Ife East
- Ifelodun
- Iwo
- Ede North
- Ila
- Aiyedire
- Egbedore
- Aiyedaade
- Ejigbo
Oyebamiji, meanwhile, won Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakunmosa West, Irewole, Atakunmosa East, Isokan, Ola-Oluwa, Ife South and Olorunda.
The distribution of the results shows that the contest was not decided by a single stronghold. Adeleke built his winning total through victories across several parts of the state.
Adeleke defeats a strong APC challenge
The margin of victory also highlights the competitiveness of the poll.
Oyebamiji’s 444,815 votes represented a substantial challenge to the incumbent, demonstrating that the APC maintained significant support across Osun despite ultimately losing the election.
The APC candidate secured particularly strong results in areas including Boripe, Irepodun, Irewole, Ilesa East, Obokun and Olorunda.
Adeleke’s victory therefore represents more than simply an incumbent retaining office. It confirms his ability to translate his political support into a statewide electoral majority despite a closely contested campaign.
Before the election, both camps had projected victory, with the APC campaigning on a promise of change while Adeleke’s campaign sought to make his record in office a central part of the re-election argument.
What the Osun election result means
Adeleke’s re-election gives the Accord Party control of the Osun State Government for another term and makes the outcome one of the significant political developments ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The incumbent will now face the challenge of converting the electoral mandate into another four years of governance.
Issues likely to remain important during the next administration include infrastructure, employment, education, healthcare, agriculture and the state’s finances. These were among the broader policy issues that featured prominently during the campaign.
The election also provides the APC with a substantial electoral base to build on. With 444,815 votes, Oyebamiji demonstrated that the opposition remains competitive in the state and could retain significant influence ahead of future elections.
Adeleke becomes one of Osun’s second-term governors
The victory also places Adeleke among the relatively small number of Osun governors to secure a second elected term.
TVC News reported that Adeleke joins Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Rauf Aregbesola as governors who have secured second terms through elections in the state’s political history.
The significance of the result extends beyond the immediate political contest. Adeleke now has an opportunity to consolidate policies and projects initiated during his first term without the immediate pressure of another governorship election.
For the opposition, the result will likely trigger an assessment of its campaign strategy, voter mobilisation and performance across the 30 LGAs.
What happens next after the Osun governorship election?
With INEC’s declaration completed, attention will shift from vote counting to the transition into Adeleke’s second term.
The immediate political priorities include the formal post-election process, assessment of the results by the competing parties and the possibility of any legal challenge.
For Adeleke, the central test will be whether the political coalition that delivered the victory can be converted into effective governance.
For the APC and other opposition parties, the distribution of votes offers data for rebuilding their grassroots structures ahead of Nigeria’s wider political cycle.
The Osun governorship election has therefore settled who will occupy the Government House for the next term, but it has also established a new political baseline in the state. Adeleke has won the mandate; the next question is how effectively his administration uses it.
