OSUN 2026: ADELEKE MAINTAINS LEAD AS INEC UPLOADS 94.5% OF RESULTS, FINAL COLLATION UNDERWAY

OSUN 2026: ADELEKE MAINTAINS LEAD AS INEC UPLOADS 94.5% OF RESULTS, FINAL COLLATION UNDERWAY

The battle for the Osun State Government House has entered its decisive stage, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke maintaining a commanding lead as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) races to complete the collation of results from Saturday’s governorship election.

As of 12:03 a.m. on Sunday, INEC had uploaded 3,557 of the 3,763 expected polling-unit results, representing 94.53 per cent of the results, on its Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

The latest development leaves only 206 polling-unit results outstanding as collation continues across the state’s 30 Local Government Areas.

Earlier results collated from 24 LGAs placed Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, firmly ahead of his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.

According to figures reported after results from 24 LGAs had been released, Adeleke had secured 347,730 votes, while Oyebamiji had polled 283,653 votes. African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salaam was placed a distant third with 13,143 votes at that stage.

The same collation showed Accord winning 16 of the 24 LGAs reported, while the APC had won eight. However, those figures remain subject to the completion of the statutory collation process and should not be regarded as the final result.

THE FINAL STRETCH

With more than 94 per cent of polling-unit results now uploaded, attention has shifted to the remaining results that could determine the final margin between the leading contenders.

The election has attracted intense interest because of the political weight attached to the contest.

For Adeleke, victory would secure another term in office and consolidate the Accord Party's hold on the state.

For Oyebamiji and the APC, a comeback would return the party to the Osun Government House after losing the state to Adeleke in the 2022 governorship election.

Salaam and the ADC have also remained part of the contest, although the emerging figures have placed the two leading candidates considerably ahead.

SECURITY CONCERNS

The election was not without incidents.

Reports emerged of the destruction of electoral materials at a polling unit in Ejigbo, while a collation centre in Osogbo was reportedly invaded by gunmen who fired into the air, temporarily disrupting the exercise.

Despite the reported incidents, voting was completed across the state and the focus has now shifted almost entirely to the collation and declaration of results.

INEC HOLDS THE FINAL WORD

The electronic uploading of polling-unit results has provided the public with an opportunity to monitor the process, but the figures circulating online remain provisional until INEC completes the official collation.

For now, Adeleke is in front, Oyebamiji is the principal challenger, and the race remains officially undecided.

All eyes are now on the remaining results and the final declaration by INEC.

Osun waits.

OSUN 2026: ADELEKE, OYEBAMIJI, SALAAM BATTLE FOR VICTORY AS INEC COLLATES RESULTS AMID TENSION

OSUN 2026: ADELEKE, OYEBAMIJI, SALAAM BATTLE FOR VICTORY AS INEC COLLATES RESULTS AMID TENSION

The political future of Osun State remains hanging in the balance as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) continues the collation of results from Saturday’s governorship election, with the three leading contenders locked in a keen contest.

Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Oyebamiji and African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salaam were among the major contenders in the election, which attracted voters across the state's 30 Local Government Areas.

The election, held on Saturday, August 15, 2026, was largely followed by intense political interest, with the outcome expected to determine who occupies the Bola Ige House for the next four years.

INEC’s electronic Result Viewing (IReV) portal showed rapid uploads of polling-unit results after voting and counting ended. By Saturday night, thousands of the 3,763 expected polling-unit results had been uploaded, with the figure subsequently rising to more than 3,500, representing over 94 per cent of the expected results.

ADELEKE SEEKS SECOND TERM

Governor Ademola Adeleke entered the election seeking a fresh mandate after winning the 2022 governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party before subsequently moving to the Accord Party.

Adeleke expressed confidence in victory after casting his vote at his polling unit in Ede North, urging his supporters to remain vigilant and protect their votes.

Early results uploaded to the IReV portal showed the incumbent recording victories at several polling units, including units in Osogbo and Ede, while Accord also secured notable results in areas considered politically significant.

OYEBAMIJI MOUNTS STRONG APC CHALLENGE

For the APC, Bola Oyebamiji represents the party's effort to reclaim Osun after its defeat in the 2022 election.

Oyebamiji, a former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, also expressed confidence in his chances after voting in his hometown of Ikire.

The APC candidate's camp has remained optimistic as results emerged, with the party recording victories in a number of polling units. Notably, APC won at the polling unit of former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Ilesa, while Oyebamiji's hometown also produced closely watched results.

However, Accord also recorded a significant result in Ikire, with 320 votes against APC's 156 at one polling unit associated with Senator Lere Oyewumi, a prominent Adeleke supporter.

SALAAM AND ADC SEEK UPSET

The ADC's Najeem Salaam has also remained a major factor in the contest. The former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly entered the race as one of the strongest challengers outside the two dominant camps.

However, the electoral process was not without incidents. Reports emerged of disruptions at some polling and collation centres, including an incident in Ejigbo where electoral materials were reportedly destroyed following an attack by suspected political thugs.

There were also reports of gunmen invading a collation centre in Osogbo later in the night, firing into the air and temporarily disrupting the collation process.

RESULTS STILL BEING COLLATED

Despite the emergence of several polling-unit winners and competing claims of strength by the major parties, the overall winner of the election cannot yet be determined from individual polling-unit results.

INEC remains the only authority empowered to officially declare the winner after the complete results have been collated and the statutory requirements satisfied.

The electronic transmission of results has nevertheless provided members of the public with access to a substantial portion of the results through the IReV platform.

The 2026 contest has attracted particular attention because of the political significance of Osun, a state that has witnessed closely fought governorship elections in recent years. In 2022, Adeleke defeated then-incumbent APC Governor Gboyega Oyetola, polling 403,371 votes against Oyetola's 375,027.

As collation continues, attention is now firmly fixed on the final figures from the remaining polling units and Local Government Areas.

For Adeleke, the moment could deliver a second term and consolidate his political hold on the state.

For Oyebamiji and the APC, victory would represent a major comeback.

For Salaam and the ADC, a strong showing could significantly reshape Osun's political landscape.

Until INEC completes the collation and makes its official declaration, Osun remains a state waiting for its next political verdict.