Osun Election 2026 Overview: Adeleke Wins Second Term as APC Studies Results, Weighs Legal Challenge
Osun Election 2026 Overview: Adeleke Wins Second Term as APC Studies Results, Weighs Legal Challenge
The dust may be settling after Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, but the political battle appears far from over as the All Progressives Congress (APC) begins a detailed review of the results that returned Governor Ademola Adeleke for a second term.
The August 15, 2026 governorship election was one of the most closely watched off-cycle elections in Nigeria, bringing together the incumbent governor, Adeleke of the Accord Party; the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji; and former Osun State House of Assembly Speaker Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alongside candidates of other political parties.
After voting, counting and collation across the 30 local government areas of the state, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke winner with 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji emerged second with 444,815 votes. Salaam finished a distant third with 17,180 votes. Adeleke therefore defeated his closest challenger by 66,252 votes.
The outcome gave Adeleke victory in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas and secured him another four-year mandate.
A High-Stakes Battle Between Adeleke and Oyebamiji
Although 15 political parties participated in the election, the contest effectively developed into a major political battle between Adeleke and Oyebamiji.
For Adeleke, the election represented a referendum on his first term and his ability to persuade Osun voters to retain him despite moving from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Accord Party.
For Oyebamiji and the APC, it was an opportunity to reclaim a state the party lost in 2022 and re-establish itself at the centre of Osun politics.
The results showed that the APC remained a formidable political force in the state. With 444,815 votes against Adeleke’s 511,067, Oyebamiji finished 66,252 votes behind the incumbent despite contesting against a sitting governor.
The geographical spread of the votes also demonstrated the competitiveness of the election. For example, APC defeated Accord in Olorunda, Ife South, Ola-Oluwa and Isokan local government areas, while Adeleke recorded significant victories elsewhere.
INEC’s IReV Upload and Collation
Another major feature of the election was the electronic uploading of polling-unit results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal.
By Saturday night, 3,292 polling-unit results had been uploaded, representing 87.48 per cent of the 3,763 expected results at that stage. The figure subsequently rose further as collation continued.
INEC eventually concluded the collation process and declared Adeleke duly elected after determining that he had satisfied the requirements of the law.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently congratulated Adeleke and urged him to unite the people of Osun for growth, stability and socio-economic development. The President also commended INEC and security agencies over the conduct of the poll.
APC Refuses to Rush Into Decision, Studies Election Results
Despite INEC’s declaration, the APC has indicated that its assessment of the election is not yet concluded.
The party said it was studying the governorship election results from across the state’s 332 wards and considering the options available to it before determining its next course of action.
According to the APC, any decision on whether to challenge aspects of the election will follow a comprehensive examination of reports and results rather than an immediate reaction to the declaration.
The development means the political and possibly legal aftermath of the Osun election could continue beyond the announcement of the winner.
The APC’s position is particularly significant because Nigeria’s electoral laws provide mechanisms through which candidates and political parties dissatisfied with the conduct or outcome of an election can approach the election petition tribunal.
However, at this stage, the APC has said it is considering legal action, not that it has already filed a petition challenging Adeleke’s victory.
From 2022 Legal Battle to Another Possible Tribunal Contest
The possibility of another legal battle carries particular significance in Osun politics.
Following the 2022 governorship election, the APC and then-governor Gboyega Oyetola challenged Adeleke’s victory at the election petition tribunal. The dispute eventually travelled through the appellate process.
That history means any decision by the APC to formally challenge the 2026 result could open another important chapter in Osun’s long-running political rivalry.
For now, however, Adeleke remains the declared winner of the August 15 election, while the APC’s next move will depend on the outcome of its review.
What the 2026 Osun Election Means Ahead of 2027
Beyond Osun, the election is likely to attract national political attention because it came less than a year before Nigeria’s 2027 general election.
For the Accord Party, Adeleke’s victory provides a significant political boost and demonstrates the strength of his personal political structure in Osun despite his change of party.
For the APC, the 444,815 votes secured by Oyebamiji show that the party retains a substantial electoral base across the state even though it failed to unseat the incumbent.
The figures also underline how competitive Osun politics remains. The difference between the two leading candidates was significant enough to deliver Adeleke a clear INEC-declared victory, yet the APC’s performance leaves it with a substantial political structure from which to reorganise.
Attention will therefore turn to the APC’s review of polling-unit and ward results and whether the party identifies grounds it considers strong enough to pursue before the election petition tribunal.
Until such a challenge is formally filed and determined, INEC’s declaration of Ademola Adeleke as winner of the 2026 Osun governorship election remains the official outcome of Saturday’s poll.
