Adeleke Leads as INEC Continues Collation of Osun Governorship Election Results
Oru Leonard
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has taken an early lead in the 2026 governorship election as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) continues the collation of results across the state.
Adeleke is currently ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in the results so far collated and uploaded to the commission’s results portal.
The incumbent governor is seeking re-election for a second term, while Oyebamiji, a former Commissioner for Finance in the state, is campaigning to return the APC to power in Osun.
The election, held on Saturday, August 15, witnessed voting across the state, with INEC officials, accredited observers, political party agents and security personnel participating in the process.
While the exercise was largely peaceful in several locations, there were reports of delays in the commencement of voting, malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), alleged vote-buying and isolated incidents of violence.
As collation progresses at the INEC State Collation Centre in Osogbo, the results so far indicate a competitive contest between Adeleke and Oyebamiji, with the incumbent maintaining a significant advantage.
However, INEC has yet to make the final declaration, and the figures remain subject to the completion of the collation process.
The final outcome is expected to determine whether Adeleke will secure another four-year term or whether the APC will reclaim the state after losing the governorship to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022.
Political observers have described the election as significant not only for Osun but also for the wider political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Until the Returning Officer formally announces the winner, Adeleke remains the leading candidate, while Oyebamiji and other contestants await the completion of the process.
INEC is expected to conclude the collation and announce the final result once all outstanding results have been received and verified.
The cumulative totals as the time of this publication are:
Candidate
Party
Total votes
Ademola Adeleke
Accord
511,131
Bola Oyebamiji
APC
443,915
Najeem Salaam
ADC
17,280
Current margin
Adeleke leads Oyebamiji by 67,216 votes.
These figures should not be treated as the final INEC result. Current live reports show different cumulative figures depending on whether they are based on ward/polling-unit uploads or formally collated LGA results. For example, one latest report had Adeleke on 177,572 and Oyebamiji on 158,588 at an earlier stage of collation.
INEC is expected to announce the results and declare the winner officially.
