Governor Ademola Adeleke has been re-elected for a second term as governor of Osun State.
Adeleke, who contested the election on the platform of the Accord Party, was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday morning after an overnight collation of results in Osogbo, the state capital.
The state Returning Officer, Joshua Ogunwole, announced that Adeleke secured 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salaam finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won 19 of the 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victories in the remaining 11 LGAs.
The final figures put Adeleke 66,252 votes ahead of Oyebamiji in the tightly contested election.
The election was held amid heightened tension following violence and attacks reported in parts of the state in the days leading up to the poll.
The result also marks a significant political comeback for Adeleke, who secured his second term despite changing political platforms after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under which he won his first term as governor.
Adeleke defected to the Accord Party in December, explaining that the party's focus on welfare aligned with his political philosophy.
“We opted for the Accord Party because its mission of welfarism aligns with our passionate focus on citizens’ and workers’ welfare,” Adeleke had said while announcing his defection.
He added that “the primary essence of a government is the welfare and well-being of the people.”
His victory means Adeleke will remain in control of Osun State for another four years, while the APC's attempt to take over the state has ended in defeat despite a high-profile campaign involving several governors and senior party leaders.
The final declaration brings an end to a closely watched off-cycle election that had attracted significant political attention ahead of the 2027 general elections.