126
By Tracy Moses
Ademola Adeleke of Accord Party has been declared winner of the 2026 Osun State governorship election, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, by 66,252 votes in a keenly contested election marked by high voter turnout, security operations and pockets of violence.
Adeleke polled 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, secured 17,180 votes.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, announced the result on Sunday morning after results from the state’s 30 local government areas were collated.
Adeleke won 19 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11, reflecting the strength of the two leading candidates across their respective areas of support.
The result secures Adeleke another term in office after a closely fought contest in a state where the leading political parties mounted intense campaigns ahead of the poll.
Adeleke recorded his strongest margins in Ede North and Ede South, where he polled 35,427 and 26,188 votes respectively, against Oyebamiji’s 10,283 and 6,219 votes.
He also won Ife East with 27,201 votes to Oyebamiji’s 18,600; Egbedore with 19,278 to 11,194; and Iwo with 27,085 to 19,660.
In Osogbo, the state capital, Adeleke polled 36,480 votes against Oyebamiji’s 30,474.
The declaration followed an election day that was largely orderly in several areas but also witnessed arrests, allegations of electoral offences and reports of violence at some polling locations.
Adeleke Raises Alarm Over Collation
Before the conclusion of voting and collation, Adeleke raised concerns over the integrity of the process, alleging that the APC was preparing to substitute authentic results from polling units with fabricated figures.
Speaking shortly after casting his ballot in Ede, the governor urged voters to remain vigilant against any move to transfer local government collation from designated centres to Osogbo.
“I have voted and I ask Osun people to come out en masse to vote and defend their votes. Nobody can deny Osun people their rights to vote and be voted for.
“We have it on good authority that Osun APC has written fake results for some local governments. The APC is looking for ways to swap the fake results with the original results.
“Their plan is to move some local government collation centres to the state capital so that they can swap the results. We will resist such moves.
“All collation must be done at each local government. Under no circumstances should the local government coalition be taken to the state capital.
“I am winning this election with wide margins. I have God and the people,” he said.
The APC had not publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
Violence in Osogbo
While voting proceeded without major disruption in several parts of the state, isolated incidents of violence were reported.
At Ogo/Oluwa Kitan polling unit in Osogbo, sporadic gunshots took place during voting, sending voters and others at the scene into panic.
Witnesses who remained at the polling unit said ballot boxes were snatched during the incident. A man was also reportedly shot in the leg.
The incident disrupted voting at the location and forced voters and others at the scene to seek safety.
There were also accounts of violence and disruption of electoral activities in other parts of the state, including Ejigbo, where voting was reportedly disrupted at a polling unit associated with ADC candidate Najeem Salaam.
Salaam had also raised concerns over the alleged non-recognition of some of his party agents at polling units.
Police Arrest Lawmaker, 179 Suspected Electoral Mercenaries
Security agencies also reported a series of arrests before and during the election.
The Osun State Police Command announced the arrest of a serving member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Abiola Ibrahim Inaolaji, who represents Irewole/Isokan State Constituency, over alleged involvement in electoral offences.
According to the police, Inaolaji was arrested in Ikire alongside 146 suspected electoral mercenaries allegedly found at his residence.
The police said more than 200 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were recovered during the operation.
In a separate operation, police operatives arrested 33 suspected electoral mercenaries at Babs Hotel in Ede, bringing the total number of suspects arrested in the two operations to 179.
The suspects, comprising 30 males and three females, were reportedly brought into Osun from Ondo State and allegedly recruited by a politician to participate in unlawful electoral activities in exchange for financial inducement.
Four PVCs were recovered from the group, according to the police.
The command said investigations were ongoing to identify other individuals allegedly connected to the movement of the suspects and other electoral offences.
High Turnout Across the State
Despite the tension surrounding the election, voters turned out in large numbers across the state, with long queues observed at several polling units.
INEC officials deployed election materials and voting commenced in many locations, while security operatives maintained a strong presence, particularly in areas identified as potential flashpoints.
Adeleke cast his vote alongside his wife at Polling Unit 9, Ward 2, Sagba Abogunde, in Ede North Local Government Area.
Speaking shortly after voting, he described the process as peaceful and expressed confidence in his chances.
The National Treasurer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Diran Odeyemi, also commended INEC and security agencies for their handling of the election.
Odeyemi acknowledged earlier incidents of political violence, removal of campaign materials and other developments that had heightened tension in the state, but expressed optimism that the electorate would ultimately determine the outcome.
Oyebamiji Wins Key Areas
Although Adeleke secured the statewide victory, Oyebamiji recorded substantial victories in several local government areas.
The APC candidate won Irewole with 29,972 votes against Adeleke’s 10,934, a margin of 19,038 votes.
He also defeated Adeleke in Boripe by 7,515 votes, Obokun by 4,097 and Ilesa East by 3,928 votes.
The distribution of the results reflected the competitiveness of the election, with both leading candidates recording significant margins in their respective strongholds.
Candidates and political parties dissatisfied with the outcome have the right to challenge the result before the appropriate election tribunal within the period prescribed by law. Any petition would have to identify specific polling units affected by alleged irregularities and provide evidence of their effect on the declared result.
For now, Adeleke remains the declared winner with 511,067 votes, giving him a 66,252-vote lead over Oyebamiji.