Osun Governorship Election Set for August 15, 2026

The Osun State governorship election is scheduled for August 15, 2026, with incumbent governor Ademola Adeleke, who recently switched from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Accord Party, facing Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, backed by Minister Adegboyega Oyetola, and Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress, a supporter of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola. This election is significant as it is the last off-cycle governorship poll before the 2027 general elections and will test the electoral security framework and state institutions' ability to ensure peaceful and credible elections.

The responsibility for conducting the election lies with Joash Amupitan, the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who has previously conducted three major elections. While he received praise for the Anambra and Ekiti elections, he faced criticism for the FCT council polls.

Concerns about election integrity are heightened due to previous criticisms of off-cycle elections under President Bola Tinubu, and local government allocations to Osun State have been withheld by the APC-led federal government, raising fears of potential violence.