OSOGBO/Nigeria: Governor Ademola Adeleke has secured another four-year term in Osun State after defeating his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Saturday’s governorship election, while the opposition party says it is studying the outcome before deciding its next move.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke of the Accord Party winner after he polled 511,067 votes across the state. Oyebamiji recorded 444,815 votes, while the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji carried 11, giving the incumbent a statewide lead of 66,252 votes. The final figures released by INEC showed 985,079 valid votes from 1,005,800 votes cast, with 20,721 ballots rejected.
The declaration was made at the state collation centre in Osogbo in the early hours of Sunday by the Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, following the completion of the collation of results from the 30 local government areas.
The result gives Adeleke a renewed mandate after he contested the election on the Accord platform, having previously won the governorship under the Peoples Democratic Party. His re-election also marks another significant development in the political contest for influence in the South-West ahead of the 2027 general elections.
For the APC, however, the election is not necessarily the end of the process. The party said on Sunday that its leadership was examining the results and would consult its lawyers before determining whether there were grounds to pursue available legal remedies.
The position means the APC has not, at this stage, formally rejected the declared result or announced that it will challenge Adeleke’s victory in court. Rather, the party says it intends to examine the process and the results before deciding what action to take.
That distinction is important in a post-election environment where political statements can quickly be interpreted as either acceptance or rejection of an electoral outcome. The APC has urged its members and supporters to remain calm while the party reviews the situation and considers its options under the law.
The development comes against the backdrop of a closely watched contest in which the APC mounted a substantial challenge to the incumbent. Oyebamiji’s 444,815 votes and victories in 11 local government areas show that the opposition maintained considerable electoral strength despite Adeleke’s eventual victory.
Meanwhile, Yiaga Africa, which observed the election, said the exercise demonstrated that INEC could deliver a credible electoral process when adequate resources, preparation and close observation were in place. The organisation nevertheless urged the commission to turn the lessons from Osun into institutional standards ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The observer group reported improvements in election-day logistics and said BVAS functioned properly in 80 per cent of the polling units it sampled, although malfunctions were recorded in the remaining 20 per cent and subsequently addressed. It also identified challenges surrounding biometric authentication and the use of downloadable Permanent Voter Cards.
Yiaga Africa’s assessment was also notable because its independent statistical analysis found INEC’s announced results consistent with its own estimated ranges. According to the organisation, the official figures fell within its projections for Accord, APC and ADC, indicating that the announced results were broadly consistent with ballots counted at polling units.
However, the organisation raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding some voters’ choices, particularly reports of vote-buying and voter inducement. It also called for stronger BVAS testing and maintenance, clearer procedures for downloadable PVCs, improved resilience of INEC’s electronic results platform and prompt communication when technological or operational problems occur.
The election was conducted amid considerable political tension and heightened attention to security, making the relatively peaceful completion of the process significant. Yiaga Africa also commended Osun voters for turning out despite the apprehension that had surrounded the election, urging citizens to remain engaged beyond election day by holding elected officials and political parties accountable for their promises.
For Adeleke, the victory now shifts the focus from campaigning to governance. A renewed mandate brings renewed expectations, particularly on issues of development, public welfare, accountability and delivery of democratic dividends to citizens across the state.
For the APC, the immediate task is to complete its review of the election and determine whether any issues identified during the process warrant legal action. Whatever decision the party eventually takes, the Osun election has already provided an important test of Nigeria’s electoral institutions—and, with 2027 approaching, the larger question will be whether the gains recorded in the process can be sustained while the remaining weaknesses are addressed.
