Adeleke Wins Second Term in Osun State Election

Ademola Adeleke secured a second term as the governor of Osun State in the August 2026 governorship election, polling 511,067 votes under the Accord Party platform. His closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, garnered 444,815 votes despite having federal support and the political machinery of Gboyega Oyetola, who is now Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.

The rivalry between Adeleke and Oyetola dates back to 2018 when Oyetola initially defeated Adeleke in a controversial rerun election, a result later upheld by the Supreme Court. However, Adeleke unseated Oyetola in 2022, winning 403,371 votes to Oyetola’s 375,027, a result confirmed by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

The 2026 election result reinforces Adeleke's political constituency and his governance choices, such as addressing salary arrears and pension debts, which bolstered his support among civil servants. Adeleke has expressed support for Southwestern solidarity behind President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.