Osun Election 2026 Update: Adeleke Leads as INEC Collation Continues, Oyebamiji Records Key Victories
Osun Election 2026 Update: Adeleke Leads as INEC Collation Continues, Oyebamiji Records Key Victories
OSOGBO — The 2026 Osun State governorship election has entered a decisive stage as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) continues the official collation of results from the 30 local government areas, with Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party maintaining a lead over the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.
The election, held across Osun State on Saturday, August 15, witnessed a significant turnout as voters chose among candidates seeking to govern the state for the next four years.
As of early Sunday, August 16, results being announced at the state collation centre showed Adeleke ahead in the provisional tally, although INEC had yet to make a final declaration at the time of this update.
Results uploaded to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) also indicated that the vast majority of polling-unit results had been transmitted. Earlier updates showed 3,292 of the expected 3,763 polling-unit results uploaded, representing 87.48 per cent, while subsequent reports put the upload rate above 90 per cent.
Despite Adeleke’s advantage in the provisional figures, Oyebamiji recorded victories in some important areas, keeping attention firmly on the APC’s performance across the state.
Among the notable results, Oyebamiji defeated Adeleke in Irewole Local Government Area, according to the result announced by the Returning Officer in the early hours of Sunday.
The APC candidate also recorded symbolic victories during polling, including winning the polling unit of former Osun governor and African Democratic Congress figure Rauf Aregbesola, while Adeleke defeated the APC in the polling unit associated with former governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.
Meanwhile, the Osun APC has cautioned against the circulation of unofficial election figures, alleging that some results being shared online were false or AI-generated.
The party stressed that only INEC possesses the constitutional authority to collate and officially declare the winner of the governorship election, urging residents and supporters to disregard figures that cannot be traced to the electoral commission.
That warning has become particularly important as competing figures circulate rapidly across social-media platforms while official collation continues.
There were also reports of isolated violence, intimidation and disruption in some locations. In Osogbo, gunshots were reportedly fired around a ward collation centre while election officials were carrying results, with at least one person reportedly injured.
With the contest approaching its conclusion, attention is now firmly fixed on INEC and the final local government results.
While available provisional figures currently favour Adeleke, no candidate should be described as the officially elected governor until INEC completes collation and makes the statutory declaration.
Nigerians following the election can independently check polling-unit results through the official INEC IReV portal.
