The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party winner of the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election.
INEC’s Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwale, announced the result on Sunday at the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo, declaring Adeleke the winner after he secured 511,067 votes.
The governor defeated his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes.
Announcing the final figures, Ogunwale said 2,339,544 voters were registered for the election, while 1,010,684 were accredited.
He said 1,005,800 ballots were cast, comprising 985,097 valid votes and 20,721 rejected ballots.
According to the Returning Officer, Adeleke recorded the highest number of votes and satisfied the requirements for victory across the state’s 30 local government areas.
Declaring the result, Ogunwale said:
“I, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwale, hereby declare the candidate of the Accord Party, Ademola Jackson Adeleke, the winner of the election, having satisfied the requirements.”
The declaration sparked jubilation in Osogbo, with Adeleke supporters taking to the streets to celebrate his victory and singing victory songs.
A resident, Taiwo Oloyede, who expressed satisfaction with the outcome, commended INEC for what he described as a job well done.
Oloyede also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving the electoral commission a free hand to conduct the election, particularly commending his intervention when the Osun State Government’s account was frozen.
Another resident, Odunola Omojola, a civil servant, said Adeleke deserved a second term, citing the governor’s attention to workers’ welfare.
According to Omojola, the support of workers across the state contributed to Adeleke’s victory.
Adeleke’s victory secures him another term as governor of Osun State after a closely contested election in which he defeated Oyebamiji and other candidates.
