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OSOGBO — The incumbent Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has secured re-election, defeating his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), by a margin of 66,252 votes.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke winner of the governorship election on Sunday after the collation of results from all 30 local government areas of the state.

Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji garnered 444,815 votes.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, announced the final result after the completion of the collation exercise.

The election had attracted considerable national attention, with prominent politicians, serving and former governors, traditional rulers, celebrities and grassroots political mobilisers taking active roles in the contest.

Adeleke’s victory gives him another term in office and further consolidates his political standing in Osun, while the defeat represents a significant setback for the APC and its candidate.

In his acceptance remarks, Adeleke described the outcome as a victory for democracy and the people of Osun State, while expressing gratitude to God and those who supported his campaign.

The governor also singled out President Bola Tinubu for appreciation, revealing that the President had personally called to congratulate him on his victory.

“I want to seize this opportunity to thank Mr. President. He has called me and he has congratulated me. Thank you Mr. President for making sure democracy lives on because you fought for it,” Adeleke said.

The governor also expressed optimism that his major challenger would reach out to him following the declaration of the result.

“I expect Oyebamiji to call me,” he said.

Adeleke’s victory is expected to reshape the political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly as the Osun contest brought together powerful political interests and tested the strength of the major parties and their respective grassroots structures.

For the APC, the result marks a major electoral disappointment, having mounted a strong challenge against the incumbent. Oyebamiji’s 444,815 votes, however, underscored the strength of the opposition in the state despite falling short of the numbers required to unseat Adeleke.

The result also leaves the ADC, which had been attracting considerable attention in the evolving national political realignment, with a much smaller electoral showing in the state, as Salaam’s 17,180 votes placed the party a distant third.

With all 30 local government areas now accounted for, Adeleke’s re-election represents a clear verdict from the Osun electorate and sets the stage for a new political chapter in the state.