Isaac Samuel
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the incumbent Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, winner of Saturday’s governorship election, securing a second term in office after defeating his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress.
Adeleke, who contested the election on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. The result gave the incumbent a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
The declaration was made in the early hours of Sunday by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, following the completion of the collation of results from the state’s 30 local government areas.
Adeleke’s victory also reflected a strong spread across the state, with the governor winning 19 of the 30 LGAs, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11.
The incumbent recorded victories in Ede North, Ede South, Ejigbo, Iwo, Egbedore, Ife North, Ife East, Ife Central, Oriade, Ifelodun, Orolu, Ayedaade, Ayedire, Odo Otin, Boluwaduro, Ilesa West, Ifedayo and Osogbo, among others.
Oyebamiji, however, won in Irewole, Isokan, Olorunda, Atakumosa East, Atakumosa West, Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun and Obokun.
The election produced 985,079 valid votes, with 20,721 rejected votes and 1,005,800 total votes cast, according to the figures announced during the final declaration.
The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes.
Declaring the result, Ogunwole said Adeleke had satisfied the constitutional requirements and was therefore returned elected.
The victory marks a significant reversal from the political configuration of the 2022 Osun governorship election, when Adeleke, then running on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, defeated the incumbent, Gboyega Oyetola. In the latest contest, Adeleke successfully defended his seat under the Accord platform.
Saturday’s election was closely watched as one of the major political contests ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the APC mounting a strong challenge against the incumbent.
Reports from the election period also raised concerns over alleged vote-buying, violence and other electoral irregularities, issues that are likely to feature in the post-election assessment.
