BREAKING: INEC declared Adeleke winner of the Osun Governorship election, defeating APC’s Oyebamiji

News, Politics

OSOGBO, Nigeria (NPA) — The incumbent Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, has been declared winner of the August 15 governorship election after securing the highest number of votes across the state’s 30 local government areas.

Adeleke won 19 of the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs), while his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), won 11 LGAs.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner after the final collation of results at the state collation centre in Osogbo on Sunday.

The State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, declared Adeleke winner after the results from all 30 LGAs were collated and party agents signed the results.

According to INEC figures, Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, defeating Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes.

The margin between the two leading candidates was 66,252 votes.

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

Other candidates recorded significantly lower figures in the election.

INEC said a total of 1,010,684 voters were accredited, while 1,005,800 votes were cast. The commission recorded 985,079 valid votes and 20,721 rejected votes.

Adeleke’s victory was built on strong performances across several parts of the state, including his traditional strongholds.

He recorded his largest local government victory in Ede North, where he polled 35,427 votes against Oyebamiji’s 10,283. He also won Osogbo with 36,480 votes to the APC candidate’s 30,474.

In Ede South, Adeleke secured 26,188 votes, while Oyebamiji polled 6,219.

Other LGAs won by Adeleke included Ife North, Ilesa West, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Orolu, Oriade, Odo Otin, Ife East, Ifelodun, Iwo, Ila, Ayedaade, Ayedire, Egbedore, Ejigbo and Boluwaduro.

Oyebamiji, however, maintained strong support in several areas and won Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakumosa West, Atakumosa East, Irewole, Isokan, Olaoluwa, Ife South and Olorunda.

His strongest performance came in Irewole, where he secured 29,972 votes against Adeleke’s 10,934. He also won Olorunda with 24,671 votes to Adeleke’s 23,514.

The election was contested by 15 political parties, although the race ultimately became a closely fought contest between Adeleke’s Accord Party and the APC’s Oyebamiji.

The Centre for Democracy and Development described the election as largely peaceful, although it identified some operational challenges during the exercise.

With the declaration, Adeleke secures another term as governor of Osun State, having successfully defended his position against the APC challenge.

The result also gives the Accord Party control of the governorship after Adeleke’s decision to contest the 2026 election on the party’s platform.

In his declaration, Prof. Ogunwole said: “That Ademola Nurudeen-Jackson Adeleke, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the August 15 Governorship Election and returned elected.”

The outcome makes Adeleke the winner of the closely watched off-cycle election, while the APC’s Oyebamiji emerges as the runner-up and ADC’s Salaam takes third place.