After months of intense politicking, internal party battles, violence and political manoeuvring, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has secured another four years in office.
Popularly known as “Imole” and celebrated for his trademark dancing, Adeleke emerged victorious in Saturday’s keenly contested governorship election, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, by 66,252 votes.
The victory is significant not only for Adeleke but also for the opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections. Running on the platform of the Accord Party, which he adopted after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adeleke successfully defended his political base while making inroads into areas considered APC strongholds.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner at its collation centre in Osogbo on Sunday. He polled 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured 11. The result gave the incumbent a clear mandate despite the fiercely competitive campaign and the tensions that preceded the poll.
Declaring the result, the Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, said Adeleke had secured the highest number of votes and satisfied the constitutional requirements for victory.
“I, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwale, hereby declare the candidate of the Accord Party, Ademola Jackson Adeleke, the winner of the election, having satisfied the requirements.”
The declaration triggered celebrations across Osogbo and other parts of the state, with Adeleke’s supporters pouring into the streets.
For a governor whose public image has long been associated with dancing, the celebrations offered an almost fitting ending to a tense electoral contest. A day after his victory, Adeleke again displayed his famous dance moves during a television interview, underscoring the personal style that has become part of his political identity.
What Gave Adeleke the Winning Edge?
A combination of factors appears to have shaped Adeleke’s victory.
Technology and Greater Scrutiny
INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) played a prominent role in the election, allowing parties, candidates, observers and members of the public to monitor polling-unit results as they were uploaded.
Political parties also deployed situation rooms and other digital tools to track results in real time. The increased visibility of polling-unit results made manipulation during collation more difficult and allowed parties and observers to compare field reports with official figures.
Civil society organisations also commended INEC for the relatively smooth conduct of the election and the timely uploading of results. The improved use of technology provided another layer of scrutiny in a contest in which all the major parties had strong interests.
Voter Vigilance and Turnout
Despite fears generated by pre-election violence, intimidation and reports of vote-buying, voters turned out in significant numbers.
Their determination to participate and protect their votes, combined with monitoring by political parties and civil society groups, helped strengthen the integrity of the process.
The election demonstrated once again that in a closely contested state such as Osun, the ability of a candidate to mobilise voters and protect votes at the polling-unit level can be as important as the strength of endorsements from political heavyweights.
Heavy Security Presence
The deployment of more than 30,000 security personnel also helped to reassure voters and contain potential threats.
Security patrols were visible across the state before and during the election, while the largely peaceful conduct of voting allowed the process to proceed despite the tense atmosphere that had characterised the campaign.
APC’s Political Baggage
The APC entered the election carrying the weight of its political history in Osun.
Former governors Adegboyega Oyetola and Rauf Aregbesola, both of whom governed the state under the APC, remained influential figures in the campaign. Oyetola backed Oyebamiji, while Aregbesola was associated with Salaam and the ADC.
The APC’s previous administrations had faced criticism over issues including salary and pension arrears. Against that background, Adeleke was able to present himself as a governor who had improved relations with workers and benefited from increased federal allocations.
Improved payment of salaries and government obligations, alongside his emphasis on workers’ welfare, appears to have strengthened his standing among sections of the electorate.
The election therefore became, in part, a referendum on competing records of governance.
Adeleke’s Two-Track Political Strategy
Another factor was Adeleke’s ability to combine opposition politics in Osun with a conciliatory relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the federal level.
After reported attempts to join the ruling APC failed to materialise, Adeleke moved to the Accord Party. The party subsequently adopted Tinubu as its presidential candidate for 2027.
That political arrangement allowed Adeleke to campaign as an opposition governor while avoiding a direct confrontation with the Presidency.
After his victory, Adeleke again reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s re-election bid, describing the President as “a son of Osun State.”
That relationship may have helped reduce the effectiveness of attempts to portray the election as a straightforward battle between Adeleke and the federal establishment.
Stronghold Retention, Strategic Breaches
Adeleke’s victory was also built on a combination of loyalty in his traditional strongholds and gains in areas where the APC expected stronger resistance.
His home base in Ede North, Ede South and Egbedore remained firmly behind him, providing a substantial reservoir of votes.
He also performed strongly across the Ife axis, including Ife East, Ife North and Ife Central, areas politically associated with his deputy, Kola Adewusi.
There were also indications of support from influential figures whose political loyalties did not necessarily translate into formal endorsements.
One of the striking features of the election was the difficulty some political heavyweights experienced in delivering their own polling units.
Former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who had backed Oyebamiji, lost his polling unit in Okuku to Adeleke.
Former APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, suffered a similar upset at his polling unit in Moore, Ile-Ife, where the Accord candidate also prevailed.
Former governor and ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, likewise failed to deliver his polling unit for the ADC candidate.
The results illustrated an important lesson from the election: prominent endorsements do not automatically translate into votes.
Political Heavyweights Learn a Difficult Lesson
The defeats recorded by some of Osun’s most prominent political figures exposed the changing nature of grassroots politics in the state.
Oyinlola, Omisore and Aregbesola all possess significant political histories and networks. Yet their inability to secure their own polling units demonstrated that voters can make choices independently of elite political calculations.
Not all political heavyweights suffered the same fate. Senator Francis Fadahunsi and Hon. Wole Oke retained their polling units, showing that political influence remains relevant—but must be converted into actual grassroots mobilisation.
The broader message is clear: in Osun politics, party structures and elite endorsements remain important, but they cannot substitute for strong voter relationships at the ward and polling-unit levels.
Why the APC Lost
Professor Hassan Saliu, President of the Nigerian Society of International Affairs and former President of the Nigerian Political Science Association, argued that the APC had “practically handed victory” to Adeleke.
According to him, internal divisions surrounding the party’s primaries, the disqualification of some aspirants and unresolved grievances contributed to anti-party activities.
He also cited the controversy surrounding the seizure and subsequent release of the state’s federal allocations. The episode, he argued, helped portray Adeleke as a victim and generated sympathy for his administration.
Saliu further pointed to what he described as reckless rhetoric from some APC members and the party’s difficulty in convincing voters that the Federal Government’s economic reforms were improving their lives.
“Voters easily associated the party with economic hardship. This should signal to the government that the impacts of economic reforms are not being felt by Nigerians,” he said.
That observation may be one of the most important political lessons from the Osun result.
For the APC, the election was fought not only against Adeleke but also against public perceptions of economic hardship and dissatisfaction with aspects of the party’s record at both state and federal levels.
ADC’s Third-Force Ambition Faces Questions
While Adeleke celebrated victory and the APC absorbed defeat, the ADC emerged from the election facing perhaps the most difficult strategic questions.
Its candidate, Najeem Salaam, secured only 17,180 votes despite the party’s growing national profile and the presence of prominent politicians within its ranks.
Osun was the third major governorship contest in which the ADC had participated after Anambra and Ekiti. Its performance in those elections had also fallen well short of what some of its national prominence suggested.
The Osun result was particularly significant because neither Salaam nor Aregbesola was able to generate overwhelming support in areas regarded as their political bases.
The ADC’s failure to turn prominent personalities into substantial grassroots votes raises questions about the party’s readiness to challenge the APC and other established political forces in 2027.
The lesson is straightforward: political prominence at the national level must eventually be converted into ward structures, polling-unit agents, local mobilisation and voter loyalty.
Accord’s Breakthrough—and Its 2027 Test
For Accord, Adeleke’s victory represents a major breakthrough.
The governor has demonstrated that a popular incumbent can successfully win re-election even after changing political parties. But his victory also creates a new challenge for the party.
Accord must now determine whether it can build a durable political structure around the governor’s popularity or whether the party’s strength will remain largely dependent on Adeleke himself.
That distinction will matter beyond 2027.
Adeleke’s personal popularity, his family’s political influence, his relationship with workers and his established grassroots network were central to the victory. Replicating that formula elsewhere would require much more than simply recruiting prominent politicians.
The Osun election therefore provides a useful case study for opposition parties preparing for 2027: candidate appeal matters, but so do local structures, voter sentiment, organisation and the ability to protect votes.
Reactions: From Tinubu to the Opposition
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulated Adeleke, describing his re-election as evidence of the confidence Osun voters placed in him.
He urged the governor to use his second term to unite the people and focus on economic growth, stability and socio-economic development.
Tinubu also commended the other candidates for participating in the election and praised INEC and the security agencies for their roles in the process.
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum similarly congratulated Adeleke, attributing his victory partly to his record and personality while commending Osun voters for turning out.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, said the victory of an opposition candidate demonstrated that opposition parties could compete under the Tinubu administration. He described the result as further evidence of the President’s commitment to democracy.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also congratulated Adeleke, saying his victory reflected the choice of Osun voters.
Former Anambra governor Peter Obi praised the people of Osun, particularly young voters, for defending their democratic mandate, while former Kano governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso also congratulated Adeleke and commended voters for exercising their democratic rights.
Accord presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim described the result as a triumph for democracy.
Former Bayelsa governor Seriake Dickson said the outcome was significant for both Osun and Nigeria’s democratic development.
Not everyone interpreted the result in the same way. The Allied Peoples Movement said the election signalled growing dissatisfaction with the APC and predicted trouble for the Tinubu administration in 2027.
Former Abia governor Orji Uzor Kalu, however, rejected the idea that the Osun result represented a setback for Tinubu, insisting that the President’s political prospects in the state remained “very bright.”
Adeleke: “This Is a Victory for Democracy”
For Adeleke, the election was more than a personal victory. He described it as an endorsement of his administration and a triumph for democracy.
He credited his government’s achievements in agriculture, infrastructure and education for the renewed mandate.
“This is a victory for democracy in Nigeria and a victory for the people of Osun State that stood by me, that said, Imole, you have done a lot for us, you have given us dividends of democracy in terms of agriculture, infrastructure, improving our education and so forth.”
He also promised to do more during his second term.
But perhaps his most politically significant statement came when he reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid.
“At this point, I must deeply appreciate the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his strong support for a free and fair election. Mr President is a son of Osun State, and I hereby reaffirm my earlier endorsement of him for a second term in the 2027 presidential election.”
The statement underlined the unusual political configuration created by the Osun election: an opposition governor winning under Accord while openly supporting the incumbent President’s re-election.
Labour Celebrates
Organised Labour in Osun also announced a victory rally for Monday, August 17, bringing together workers, pensioners and affiliate unions.
The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress said the rally was intended to celebrate the conclusion of the electoral process and demonstrate the “unity, solidarity and collective strength” of workers and pensioners.
The support of organised labour was politically important because workers’ welfare had been one of the recurring themes of Adeleke’s campaign and governance narrative.
CSOs Praise the Process, Raise Cautions
Civil society organisations largely welcomed the conduct of the election while urging continued reforms.
Yiaga Africa said the official results were consistent with its Watching the Vote estimates and commended INEC, security agencies and voters.
The Transition Monitoring Group similarly praised INEC for the relatively seamless conduct of the poll, the real-time uploading of polling-unit results and the limited occurrence of technical problems.
At the same time, the group called for stronger measures against vote-buying, intimidation and other electoral offences.
It urged Nigerians to obtain and safeguard their Permanent Voter Cards, participate in elections and reject inducements, while encouraging voters to judge candidates by character, competence and credibility rather than party loyalty, ethnicity, religion or political slogans.
The recommendations point to the larger challenge facing Nigeria before 2027: improving not only the technology of elections but also the political culture surrounding them.
Salaam Concedes: “The People Have Spoken”
Perhaps one of the clearest signs that the election had produced a decisive outcome came from the third-place candidate, Najeem Salaam.
The ADC candidate congratulated Adeleke and said the people’s choice must be respected.
“I warmly congratulate His Excellency, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election as the Governor of Osun State. At the end of the day, the choice of the people must prevail.”
Salaam urged Adeleke to use the second term to reflect on areas where his administration had fallen short, improve on them and consolidate its achievements.
He also appealed to the governor to govern for all residents, regardless of party affiliation.
“Osun belongs to all of us. Beyond party lines and political differences, our collective responsibility is to build a state where every citizen can live with dignity, security and hope for a better future.”
He ended with a message that captured the mood of the post-election period:
“Politics is not a do-or-die affair. The people have spoken; democracy has prevailed.”
The Road to 2027
Adeleke’s re-election has changed the political calculations in Osun.
For the governor, the immediate task is to convert a hard-fought electoral victory into a stronger record of governance. His supporters will expect improvements in infrastructure, agriculture, education, workers’ welfare and the broader economy.
For the APC, the result demands a serious examination of its internal structure, candidate-selection process and relationship with voters.
For the ADC and other emerging opposition platforms, the election demonstrates that national prominence alone cannot produce electoral strength without deep grassroots organisation.
And for President Tinubu, the result offers both an opportunity and a warning. Adeleke’s decision to endorse him for 2027 shows that political alliances in the South-West are becoming increasingly fluid. At the same time, the APC’s defeat demonstrates that economic hardship, internal divisions and local political dynamics can override the advantages of incumbency and party machinery.
The Osun election has therefore produced more than a winner.
It has offered an early glimpse into the political battles that could shape 2027.
For Adeleke, there is now one more dance—but the music has changed. The governor must turn electoral popularity into lasting governance, build a political structure capable of surviving beyond his personality and prove that the mandate Osun voters gave him can deliver tangible improvements in their lives.
For now, however, the verdict is unmistakable: the people of Osun have spoken, and Ademola Adeleke will govern the state for another four years.