Breaking: Adeleke Crushes APC’s Oyebamiji, Wins Second Term in Osun

OSOGBO — Governor Ademola Adeleke has secured a second term in office after defeating his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Oyebamiji, in the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

Adeleke, who contested the election on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes to emerge victorious, defeating Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate and former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam, finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.

The result, announced in the early hours of Sunday by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, at the collation centre in Osogbo, gave Adeleke another four years at the helm of affairs in the state.

The incumbent secured the highest number of votes in 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won in the remaining 11 LGAs, in a closely watched contest that effectively became a two-horse race between the Accord candidate and his APC challenger.

Adeleke recorded victories in Ede North, Ede South, Ejigbo, Iwo, Egbedore, Ife North, Ife East, Ife Central, Oriade, Ifelodun, Orolu, Ayedaade, Ayedire, Odo Otin, Boluwaduro, Ilesa West, Ifedayo, Osogbo and one other local government area.

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Oyebamiji, on the other hand, secured victories in Irewole, Isokan, Olorunda, Atakunmosa East, Atakunmosa West, Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun and Obokun, with the remaining two LGAs reflected in the final collation accounting for his 11-LGA tally.

Announcing the final figures, Ogunwole said 1,005,800 votes were cast in the election. Adeleke’s 511,067 votes represented the largest share, followed by Oyebamiji’s 444,815 votes, while the remaining candidates shared the balance.

After the agents of the participating political parties signed the results, the Returning Officer formally declared Adeleke the winner.

“That Ademola Nurudeen-Jackson Adeleke, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the August 15 Governorship election and returned elected,” Ogunwole declared.

The victory marks another major political milestone for Adeleke, who took office in November 2022 after defeating the then-incumbent APC governor, Gboyega Oyetola. His re-election means he will remain governor of Osun until 2030.

The 2026 election also produced a significant political shift, with Adeleke winning the governorship under the Accord Party, the first time the party has captured the Osun governorship since its creation in 2006.

With the final declaration, attention now turns to Adeleke’s second-term agenda and whether the governor can consolidate his electoral victory by translating the mandate into broader economic development, infrastructure delivery and improved welfare for the people of Osun.

Breaking: Adeleke Crushes APC’s Oyebamiji, Wins Second Term in Osun

Osun Decides: Adeleke Sweeps 19 LGAs, Oyebamiji Takes 11 as Incumbent Heads for Second Term

Incumbent governor secures commanding lead across 30 local government areas, awaits INEC’s official declaration

Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party has won 19 of the 30 Local Government Areas in Saturday’s Osun governorship election, while his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), secured 11 LGAs, according to results announced during the ongoing collation process. The outcome across the 30 councils gives Adeleke a clear advantage in the race as the Independent National Electoral Commission continues the collation and official declaration of results at the state collation centre in Osogbo. The Osun governorship election saw 15 political parties fielding candidates, with Governor Adeleke seeking a second term in office.

Across the 30 LGAs, Adeleke polled a combined 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815, giving the incumbent a margin of 66,252 votes based on the figures provided. Earlier provisional figures from INEC’s Result Viewing Portal had shown Adeleke leading with 451,744 votes (52.54%) against Oyebamiji’s 382,689 votes (44.51%) when about 87% of results were uploaded. Adeleke recorded his largest LGA vote total in Osogbo, where he polled 36,480 votes against Oyebamiji’s 30,474. He also secured 35,427 votes in Ede North and 27,201 in Ife East. Oyebamiji’s strongest performance came in Irewole, where he scored 29,972 votes against Adeleke’s 10,934. He also won Olorunda with 24,671 votes to Adeleke’s 23,514 and Ilesa East with 16,208 votes against Adeleke’s 12,280.

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The 19 LGAs won by Adeleke include Ede South and Ede North, which is Adeleke’s home base where he secured 35,427 votes against APC’s 10,283; Osogbo with 36,480 votes; Ife East with 27,201 votes; Ife Central with 21,171 votes, winning by a 5,258-vote margin; Iwo with 27,085 votes against APC’s 19,660; and Ife North, Ilesa West, Egbedore, Ayedaade, Ayedire, Ejigbo, Ifedayo, Ifelodun, Ila, Odo-Otin, Oriade, and Orolu. The 11 LGAs secured by Oyebamiji include Ilesa East with 16,208 votes; Boripe with 19,963 votes; Irepodun with 15,713 votes; Obokun with 16,120 votes; Atakumosa West and East; Irewole with 29,972 votes; Isokan with 14,063 votes; Olaoluwa with 10,782 votes; Ife South with 14,678 votes; and Olorunda with 24,671 votes.

Closely fought contests were recorded in several LGAs. In Boluwaduro, Adeleke led with 7,118 votes against 7,050 for Oyebamiji. In Isokan, Oyebamiji edged Adeleke 14,063 to 13,765 votes. In Ejigbo, Adeleke polled 18,458 votes against Oyebamiji’s 16,195, while the ADC candidate recorded 5,053 votes.

The election was not without incidents. Several LGAs reported over-voting and violence, leading to cancellation of results in some polling units. In Orolu LGA, votes were cancelled in Ward 04 due to over-voting, while Ward 03 Olufon also recorded cancelled votes for the same reason. Ward 05 in Orolu experienced ballot box snatching, with party agents insisting on cancellation because it took over an hour before the ballot box was returned. In Atakumosa West LGA, an inter-party conflict occurred at Okebode PU 001 Oju Oja, where voters carried away the ballot box and damaged it before returning it, leading to cancellation of the election at that unit. Atakumosa East LGA also reported cancellations in two polling units due to violence. In Ejigbo LGA, three separate violence incidents affected 2,340 voters. In Ife Central LGA, two polling units had results cancelled due to over-voting.

The election drew significant public attention, with prominent figures monitoring the process. Afrobeats star Davido, nephew of Governor Adeleke, had earlier questioned INEC’s IReV upload delays, writing: “INEC IREV uploads have been stuck for almost 2 hours now. 3292 out of 3763 results submitted and then silence. This is not acceptable!” Election observer group Yiaga Africa raised concerns over the delay in uploading results to INEC’s IReV portal, noting that uploads remained unchanged from 8:48 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., leaving 471 results outstanding nearly eight hours after voting ended. As of 2 a.m. Sunday, INEC had uploaded 3,614 results, representing 96% of the total. Businessman Atedo Peterside also demanded that INEC explain why it took longer to upload the final 13 per cent of results than the first 87 per cent.

The collation of results is continuing, with Adeleke awaiting the official declaration by INEC. The final outcome will be determined by the results formally accepted and declared by the electoral commission. The Osun State governorship election has 2,399,233 registered voters, with 1,906,390 collecting their Permanent Voter Cards and eligible to vote across 3,763 polling units in the 332 wards and 30 LGAs. The election is considered a crucial test for INEC and security agencies ahead of the 2027 general elections. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to reinforce directives to security agencies and INEC to ensure the will of Osun voters is not subverted during collation. Peterside had earlier described the Osun election as a “referendum on INEC, the security agencies and the police,” stating that their performance would be judged by Nigerians.

Osun Decides: Adeleke Sweeps 19 LGAs, Oyebamiji Takes 11 as Incumbent Heads for Second Term

Peterside Demands INEC Explain Hours-Long Delay in Uploading Final Osun Election Results

Businessman, Davido, Yiaga Africa demand transparency as electoral body faces scrutiny over delayed upload of final polling unit results in Osun governorship election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is facing mounting pressure from prominent Nigerians and election observer groups to explain why it took longer to upload the final 13 per cent of polling unit results from the Osun State governorship election than it took to upload the initial 87 per cent. Businessman and ANAP Foundation President, Atedo Peterside, has led the calls for transparency, demanding that the electoral body provide a clear explanation for the hours-long delay that raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

The controversy erupted after INEC resumed uploading results to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) following hours of inactivity on Saturday. By approximately 2 a.m. on Sunday, results from 3,612 polling units had been uploaded, representing 95.99 per cent of the total, with 151 polling units remaining outstanding. A later update at 2:37 a.m. showed that 3,613 results had been uploaded, representing 96.01 per cent, with 150 results still outstanding. The prolonged delay in uploading the final results sparked widespread concern among Nigerians monitoring the election.

In a post on X in the early hours of Sunday, Peterside wrote: “Dear @inecnigeria, thank you for releasing the results from 3,612 Polling Units in the #Osun Governorship Elections i.e. 95.99% of the results by 2am approx. Please release the results of the remaining 151 Polling Units. We are still watching. We also believe you owe the nation an explanation as to why it took you longer to collate the last 13% of the results than it took to collate the first 87%. Was there a ‘glitch’?” His question echoed the concerns of millions of Nigerians who had stayed up late to monitor the election results.

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Earlier on Saturday night, Peterside had raised the alarm after uploads to the IReV portal stalled at 3,292 results out of 3,763 polling units, representing 87.48 per cent, for hours. He had posted: “Dear @inecnigeria, many of us have been monitoring your Osun Governorship Election result uploads on your IREV. Why have your uploads stopped at 87.48% for some hours now? If you could show us 3,292 Polling Unit Results with little or no alterations, why are you unable to show us the results from the remaining 471 Polling Units? It is now past 10pm.” His frustration was shared by many Nigerians who had placed their trust in the electoral process.

The delay also drew public reactions from Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, who is closely monitoring the election process as the nephew of incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke. In a post on his X account, Davido wrote: “INEC IREV uploads have been stuck for almost 2 hours now. 3292 out of 3763 results submitted and then silence. This is not acceptable! Why has the uploading stopped? @inecnigeria.” Earlier in the day, Davido had also questioned INEC at 2:33 p.m. when no results had yet been uploaded, demanding transparency from the electoral body. His intervention brought significant attention to the issue, given his massive following and personal stake in the election.

Election observer group Yiaga Africa also expressed serious concern over the delay, noting that the number of results uploaded to the IReV portal remained unchanged from 8:48 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Election Day, leaving 471 results outstanding nearly eight hours after voting ended. The group urged INEC to “urgently conclude the upload of the outstanding results or provide a clear explanation for the prolonged delay,” stressing that transparency and timely disclosure are critical to maintaining public confidence in the results process. Yiaga Africa had earlier announced that it would deploy its Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology alongside an AI-assisted Election Result Analysis Dashboard (ERAD 2.0) to independently verify the election results and audit the results uploaded to IReV.

INEC National Commissioner Kunle Ajayi had assured voters ahead of the election that results from polling units would be uploaded to the IReV portal, though he noted that factors such as network connectivity and data volume could affect the pace of uploads. He also clarified that IReV is primarily designed to display polling-unit results rather than serve as a collation platform, stating that “the IReV is not an adding machine. It’s not an adding system. The IReV is meant for the display of results from the PUs.” However, critics argue that this explanation does not adequately address the specific delay in uploading the final results.

As of 3:36 a.m. on Sunday, checks showed that 3,614 polling unit results, representing 96.04 per cent of the total, had been uploaded to the IReV portal. Unofficial tallies compiled by election observers indicated that incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party was leading with 512,590 votes, ahead of Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had 438,204 votes. According to data analysis by Dataphyte, Adeleke had secured 52.37 per cent of the ballots counted so far, while Oyebamiji followed with 44.69 per cent. Results from local government areas announced at the collation centre showed Adeleke winning Ede North with 35,427 votes against APC’s 10,283, and Iwo Local Government with 27,085 votes against APC’s 19,660.

Peterside had earlier described the Osun election as a crucial test for INEC and security agencies ahead of the 2027 general elections. Speaking before the election, he said the Osun election was the last major off-cycle governorship election before the general election, making its conduct and outcome significant to public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process. He stressed that the election should be viewed as a referendum on INEC, the security agencies and the police, saying their performance would be judged by Nigerians. “Last time around, INEC did well in Osun. By 6pm, we knew who the winner was. I hope they will pass the test this time,” Peterside had said.

The Osun State governorship election, held on Saturday, August 15, 2026, features 15 political parties and candidates, with Governor Adeleke seeking a second term in office. Fifteen political parties are contesting the election after INEC reprinted ballot papers to accommodate the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate following a Federal High Court judgment. The state has 2,339,233 registered voters, of whom 1,906,390 collected their Permanent Voter Cards and are eligible to vote across 3,763 polling units in the 332 wards and 30 local government areas. INEC had earlier reported that 432,843 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent of registered voters, remained uncollected.

The delayed upload has reignited debates about election transparency and the reliability of INEC’s technology in Nigeria’s electoral process. Many Nigerians have taken to social media to express their frustration, with some questioning whether the delay was due to technical glitches or something more sinister. The incident has also raised concerns about the commission’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections, with Peterside warning that Nigerians should not assume that a successful poll in Osun would automatically guarantee a successful general election in 2027.

As INEC continues its collation process, all eyes remain on the remaining outstanding results and the commission’s explanation for the delay. The outcome of the Osun election is being closely watched as a bellwether for the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections. For now, Nigerians await INEC’s response to the growing chorus of demands for transparency and accountability.

Peterside Demands INEC Explain Hours-Long Delay in Uploading Final Osun Election Results