Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party was at the weekend re-elected Governor of Osun State amid stiff opposition from Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress and Hon Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress. Deji Elumoye reports.
The 2026 gubernatorial poll in the State of the Living Spring which took place on Saturday, August 15, 2026 was devoid of crisis in all the 30 local government areas of the state. This was a sharp contrast to what transpired in the build-up to the election when several cases of alleged killing of political opponents were reported in different parts of the state.
Although the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), cleared 14 political parties for last Saturday’s governorship poll, it was, however, a three-horse race between candidates of the Accord Party, All Progressives Congress and African Democratic Congress.
Accord Party fielded the incumbent Governor, Ademola Adeleke, who was first
elected in 2022 under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party. He later resigned from PDP in November, 2025 due to crisis rocking the main opposition party at the national level and defected to Accord.
Adeleke traversed the nook and cranny of the state campaigning for people’s vote with a five-point reloaded agenda
focusing on youth, women, workers, infrastructure, agro-industrialisation, health, education. The ‘Dancing Governor’ also played up his achievements in over three years to include construction of 350-kilometer roads, three flyovers, 332 boreholes, Imole Medical Outreach for 80,000 residents, N4 billion for cooperatives, paid N100 billion pension debts and succeeded in moving Osun’s yearly ranking by WAEC from 33rd to 7th.
On its part, the All Progressives Congress fielded Bola Oyebamiji popularly known as AMBO who campaigned on prosperity agenda with the campaign strategy and backing of the party’s national leaders including Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker, Hon Tajudeen Abbas. He also positioned himself as “technocrat” alternative to incumbent Governor Adeleke as he moved round the state to campaign.
The African Democratic Congress candidate, Hon Najeem Salaam, a two-time former Speaker of the State House of Assembly had a 10-point agenda as his campaign message with the party being positioned as protest platform for aggrieved APC/PDP members with former governor of the state and current National Secretary of the ADC, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as arrowhead of Salaam’s campaigns.
Some specific key Issues cropped up in the build-up to governorship election. There was party realignment which resulted in the PDP collapsing both nationally and in Osun forcing Adeleke to defect to Accord Party with weak national spread but gave Osun Governor a recognized political platform and full control of the party machinery.
There was also the Aregbesola factor whose move to ADC national leadership made ADC a potential spoiler or kingmaker.
On peace and credibility, stakeholders described last Saturday’s poll as a “major test of INEC, Police ahead of 2027” while Adeleke’s campaign council petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu and British High Commission raising concerns over security challenges.
Adeleke had in the course of his campaign endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid saying “our own son, father and leader” and “Osun, as ancestral home of the president, has responsibility to support him in the best interest of the South West”. The Osun Governor also upon being declared re-elected by INEC on Sunday morning told newsmen that the President had called him on phone to congratulate him. Tinubu further corroborated governor’s assertion as he stated that much in a congratulatory message issued later on Sunday.
The President said: “I called Governor Ademola Adeleke earlier today to congratulate him on his election victory in Osun State. His victory once again confirmed the confidence the people of Osun State have in him.
“I wish him great success as he prepares to lead the state for the next four years. Now that he has won, Governor Adeleke must unite the people of Osun State and rally them for growth, stability, and social and economic progress, regardless of the political choices they made at the election.
“I salute the courage and discipline displayed by other contestants in the election. Their participation deepened and enriched our country’s democratic culture. The outcome of the election reflects the will of the people and is a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in our land.”
Governor Adeleke of Accord party backing President Tinubu of APC’S re-election in January, 2027, will create cross-party alignment in South-West. This definitely will neutralize state-level opposition and is an indication that five out of the six South West governors will rally behind Tinubu. It also gives Tinubu a foothold in Osun’s grassroots structure ahead of 2027.
With Adeleke securing a second term in office, much is expected of him based on his campaign promises, track record, and current needs of the State of the Living Spring. He’s expected to consolidate on his 5-Point Agenda Reloaded namely Infrastructure, Agro-industrialisation and Rural Development, Health and Education, Workers, Youth and Women’s Welfare, Governance and Security.
Stakeholders will also expect Adeleke to deliver political stability by healing party divisions by making Accord a viable state party and prevent more defections.
There is also the urgent need for him to resolve the lingering crisis over control of Local Government Areas that’s been a flashpoint with federal authorities as well as keeping Osun people at the centre of programmes and policies and engage all stakeholders.