Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has been declared winner of the state’s governorship election, securing a second term after a contest the electoral commission described as keenly contested. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the results on Sunday, confirming Adeleke’s victory over Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to the official tallies, Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to Oyebamiji’s 444,815, winning in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas. The outcome extends the Peoples Democratic Party’s hold on the state and reinforces Adeleke’s political standing in the South-West region.
Speaking shortly after the declaration, the governor framed the victory as a collective endorsement of democratic values and his administration’s record. “I feel great. First of all, I thank God Almighty for what has happened today. It’s a victory for democracy in Nigeria. A victory for Osun people that stood by me,” he said. He added that residents had acknowledged tangible improvements in infrastructure, education, and agriculture during his first term. “You have given us dividend of democracy in terms of infrastructure, improving our education, agriculture, and so forth. So this is for Osun people saying, thank you, Mr Governor.”
The election was widely seen as a referendum on governance performance in a state where socioeconomic indicators have been a recurring campaign theme. Adeleke’s campaign emphasized completed road projects, school renovations, and agricultural support programmes, arguments that appeared to resonate across multiple local government areas.
For the APC, the loss represents a setback in its effort to reclaim the state after losing it in the previous cycle. The party’s candidate, a former commissioner, campaigned on a platform of fiscal prudence and federal collaboration but failed to dent the incumbent’s lead in key population centres.
With the inauguration expected later this year, attention now shifts to the governor’s policy agenda for the next four years. Key priorities are likely to include sustaining infrastructure momentum, addressing youth unemployment, and navigating the state’s fiscal relationship with the federal government. The result also adds to the evolving narrative of incumbent advantage in Nigerian sub-national Elections, where delivery of visible projects increasingly shapes voter decisions.
