By Our Correspondent
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, winner of the August 15, 2026 governorship election, after he secured the highest number of votes in the keenly contested poll.
Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord, polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 444,815 votes.
The State Returning Officer for the election and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, announced the final result at about 7:24 a.m. on Sunday.
Following the declaration, Ogunwole returned Adeleke elected for another term in office.
The governor won in 19 of the 30 local government areas of the state, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11 local government areas.
According to the Returning Officer, Adeleke 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, Osogbo and another local government area listed in the declaration.
Oyebamiji, on the other hand, won in Irewole, Isokan, Olorunda, Atakumosa East, Atakumosa West, Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun and Obokun.
Declaring the aggregate results, Ogunwole said accredited voters stood at 1,010,684, while the total votes received by political parties included Accord, 511,067; AA, 2,308; AAC, 1,458; ADC, 17,180; ADP, 2,946; APC, 444,815; APGA, 1,475; APM, 234; APP, 114; BP, 111; NNPP, 118; PRP, 83; SDP, 155; YPP, 534; and ZLP, 2,482.
The Returning Officer announced 985,079 valid votes, 20,721 rejected votes and 1,005,800 total votes cast.
After agents of the participating political parties signed the election results, Ogunwole formally declared Adeleke the winner.
He 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 declaration brings an end to the keenly watched electoral contest, with Adeleke securing a fresh mandate from Osun voters.
https://guardian.ng/breakingnews/osun-decides-adeleke-leads-with-19-lgs-oyebamiji-trails-with-11/
The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Najeem Salaam, finished third in the election.
The outcome is expected to shape the political landscape in Osun State ahead of the next phase of governance and political activities in the state.