Adeleke Wins Second Term in Osun: How the Governorship Vote Broke Down Across Local Governments

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has secured a second term following the 2026 governorship election, extending his mandate after a contest that again put the political strength of the incumbent and the opposition to the test across the state’s local government areas.

The election was held on 15 August 2026. Adeleke contested on the platform of Accord, a significant change from 2022, when he defeated the then-incumbent Gboyega Oyetola as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The local government map matters

Beyond the statewide result, the local government returns provide a clearer picture of how the election was won. BBC News Pidgin published a breakdown of the results across Osun’s local government areas following Adeleke’s re-election, showing how the contest played out geographically rather than only through the final statewide tally.

The distribution of support is particularly important in Osun, where the three senatorial districts have historically produced different electoral patterns. In the 2022 governorship election, Adeleke’s strongest advantage came from Osun West, while the contest was considerably tighter in Osun Central and Osun East.

A different party, another mandate

Adeleke’s re-election is also notable because he entered the 2026 race under Accord. The Independent National Electoral Commission’s pre-election candidate information identified him as the incumbent Accord candidate, with Bola Oyebamiji representing the All Progressives Congress and Najeem Salaam associated with the African Democratic Congress.

That shift gives the result significance beyond Osun. It provides another test of the extent to which Nigerian voters distinguish between individual candidates, local political networks and national party structures in state-level elections.

From the 2022 victory to re-election

Adeleke first won the governorship in July 2022, polling 403,371 votes against Oyetola’s 375,027. That victory ended APC control of the governorship and returned Adeleke to a contest he had narrowly lost four years earlier.

The 2026 result now gives Adeleke a second mandate. The detailed local government returns will also be important for understanding where political support shifted between the two elections and what the result may indicate about party organisation ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

Sources: BBC News Pidgin: Breakdown of Osun State governorship election results by local governments after Adeleke re-election; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).