Adeleke Re-elected Osun Governor After Rivals Step Down in Unity Move

Governor Ademola Adeleke has been declared winner of the August 16, 2026 Osun State governorship election, with Nigeria's electoral commission, INEC, announcing that he polled 511,067 votes against 444,815 for the closest rival from the All Progressives Congress (APC) — a margin of roughly 53 to 46 percent. A third-placed candidate from the ADC polled 17,180 votes.

Adeleke, who previously governed under the PDP banner, contested this election under the ACCORD party. He dominated in urban centres including Osogbo, Ede North and Ife East, while the APC held on to 11 of the state's 30 local government areas, including Boripe and Irepodun.

The result followed a notable pre-election development: on August 14, just hours before polls opened, the Allied Peoples Movement's Adebayo Adewale and the PDP's Adedamola Adebayo both withdrew their candidacies and publicly endorsed Adeleke. Adewale said his decision followed "deep reflection and extensive consultation" with stakeholders and was not the result of pressure, adding that Adeleke "deserves another term to consolidate the progress of his administration." Adebayo similarly urged PDP members to back Adeleke's re-election.

With the withdrawals, the contest effectively narrowed to a two-way race between Adeleke and the APC candidate before voting even began.

Sources: THISDAY, TheCable, The Eagle Online.