Jubilation erupted across Osun State on Sunday following the declaration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the August 15 governorship election.
The celebrations were particularly pronounced in Osogbo, the state capital, and Ede, Adeleke’s hometown, where supporters trooped onto the streets singing, dancing and chanting in celebration of the governor’s victory.
At the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre in Osogbo, supporters gathered as the final results from the state’s 30 local government areas were announced. Similar scenes were witnessed around Adeleke’s residence in Ede, where supporters awaited his arrival while celebrating his return for a second term.
INEC’s Returning Officer for the election, Professor Joshua Ogunwole, declared Adeleke of the Accord Party the winner in the early hours of Sunday.
Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third with 17,180 votes.
The governor secured victory in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.
Ogunwole, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, said Adeleke had satisfied the requirements of the law and was therefore declared elected.
The declaration triggered fresh celebrations in Osogbo, with supporters dancing and singing around the INEC premises.
In Ede, large crowds also gathered around the governor’s residence as news of his victory spread, with supporters celebrating what they described as the renewal of Adeleke’s mandate.
The celebrations had begun in parts of the state as results were announced from individual polling units and local government areas, with particularly strong support for Adeleke recorded in Ede, his home base.
The scenes of jubilation in Ede and Osogbo echoed celebrations that followed Adeleke’s victory in the 2022 governorship election, when supporters similarly filled the streets of the two cities to celebrate his emergence as governor.
The election attracted 15 political parties and followed months of intense campaigning and heightened security across the state.
A total of 1,005,800 votes were cast, while 985,079 were recorded as valid votes. INEC accredited 1,010,684 voters for the election.
Adeleke’s victory secures a second term for the governor, who won the 2022 governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before leaving the party for the Accord Party in December 2025.
