OSOGBO, Nigeria — August 15, 2026: Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party held a clear lead Saturday evening as collation of results continued from the Osun State governorship election, putting him ahead of his main rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) a distant third.
Provisional tallies from multiple independent trackers of INEC’s IReV portal and related systems showed Adeleke consistently above 50 percent of votes counted.
One widely reported snapshot from 303 of the state’s 332 wards put Adeleke on 177,572 votes (50.5 percent) against Oyebamiji’s 158,588 (45.1 percent), with Salaam on 5,917.
Later aggregations from a larger share of the 3,763 polling units indicated Adeleke in the range of roughly 51–53 percent and Oyebamiji around 42–45 percent, with Salaam near 1.7 percent and the remaining candidates trailing far behind.
Figures remained unofficial and subject to change as outstanding results arrived; formal declaration awaits the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Returning Officer at the state collation centre.
INEC had uploaded results from a substantial majority of polling units by evening (reports ranged from the high 70s to mid-80s percent), after voting across the state’s 30 local government areas. Turnout appeared moderate based on early accreditation data.
The off-cycle contest featured 15 parties after a late court-ordered inclusion of the Social Democratic Party candidate. The Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party fielded no candidates.
Adeleke, seeking a second term after defecting from the PDP to the Accord Party, ran with Kola Adenusi (also referred to as Kola Adewusi in some reports).
Oyebamiji, a former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, was paired with Benjamin Adereti. Salaam, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, completed the leading trio in what analysts described as a three-horse race.
Polling largely opened on schedule Saturday morning after material distribution and accreditation using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Isolated issues included slow or failed facial recognition on some devices, long queues in high-registration units, and scattered reports of arguments over invalid ballots or alleged irregularities.
Security agencies maintained a visible presence, with movement restrictions in place earlier in the day. Candidates and party agents monitored the process closely, and international observers were present at some units.
Adeleke’s campaign emphasized continuity of his administration’s infrastructure and welfare programs.
Oyebamiji focused on administrative experience and a return of APC governance.
Salaam positioned himself as an alternative voice. With collation advancing into the night, attention centered on whether Adeleke’s early advantage would hold through the remaining wards and local government areas.
Results remain provisional until INEC completes collation and issues an official declaration. Osun voters will determine the occupant of Bola Ige Government House for the next four years.
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