Adeleke Defeats Oyebamiji by 66,252 Votes as INEC Declares Him Winner of Osun Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Osun State Governor and Accord Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, the winner of the state’s governorship election.

Adeleke secured 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who finished with 444,815 votes.

The victory means Adeleke won re-election by a margin of 66,252 votes.

Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, the Returning Officer for the election, declared Adeleke the winner on Sunday following the completion of results collation from the state’s 30 local government areas.

ADC candidate Najeem Salaam came third with 17,180 votes.

Adeleke Hails Tinubu, Says President Called to Congratulate Him

Shortly after the declaration, Adeleke expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, revealing that the President personally called to congratulate him on his victory.

The Osun governor described the outcome as a victory for democracy and the people of the state.

He also thanked Tinubu for his role in ensuring that democracy “lives on”.

“I want to seize this opportunity to thank Mr. President. He has called me and he has congratulated me. Thank you Mr. President for making sure democracy lives on because you fought for it,” he said.

‘It’s No Victor, No Vanquished’

Adeleke also expressed appreciation to God while describing his victory as one for democracy and the people of Osun State.

The governor said he expected Oyebamiji to call and congratulate him, adding that the election should not be viewed as a contest with permanent winners and losers.

According to Adeleke, “It’s no victor, no vanquished”.

How Adeleke and APC Shared the 30 LGAs

The final results showed a relatively competitive contest across the state, with Adeleke winning 19 LGAs and Oyebamiji taking 11.

Adeleke won Ede North, Osogbo, Ede South, Iwo, Ife East, Ife Central, Ifelodun, Oriade, Egbedore, Odo Otin, Ilesa West, Ila, Ayedaade, Ife North, Orolu, Boluwaduro, Ayedire, Ifedayo and Ejigbo.

The results were:

Ede North: Adeleke — 35,427; Oyebamiji — 10,283

Osogbo: Adeleke — 36,480; Oyebamiji — 30,474

Ede South: Adeleke — 26,188; Oyebamiji — 6,219

Iwo: Adeleke — 27,085; Oyebamiji — 19,660

Ife East: Adeleke — 27,201; Oyebamiji — 18,600

Ife Central: Adeleke — 21,171; Oyebamiji — 15,913

Ifelodun: Adeleke — 21,107; Oyebamiji — 18,396

Oriade: Adeleke — 21,343; Oyebamiji — 14,863

Egbedore: Adeleke — 19,278; Oyebamiji — 11,194

Odo Otin: Adeleke — 18,003; Oyebamiji — 15,435

Ilesa West: Adeleke — 16,196; Oyebamiji — 12,756

Ila: Adeleke — 16,211; Oyebamiji — 12,934

Ayedaade: Adeleke — 16,681; Oyebamiji — 15,719

Ife North: Adeleke — 13,879; Oyebamiji — 9,613

Orolu: Adeleke — 12,352; Oyebamiji — 10,622

Boluwaduro: Adeleke — 7,118; Oyebamiji — 7,050

Ayedire: Adeleke — 11,073; Oyebamiji — 9,910

Ifedayo: Adeleke — 7,427; Oyebamiji — 6,836

Ejigbo: Adeleke — 18,458; Oyebamiji — 16,195

APC’s 11 Victories

Oyebamiji secured victories in 11 LGAs, with some of his strongest results coming from areas considered important APC strongholds.

In Ilesa East, APC scored 16,208 votes against Adeleke’s 12,280.

The party also won Boripe, with 19,963 votes against Adeleke’s 12,448; Irepodun, where it scored 15,713 against 14,504; and Obokun, where APC polled 16,120 compared with Adeleke’s 12,023.

Other APC victories came in Atakumosa West, Irewole, Atakumosa East, Isokan, Olaoluwa, Ife South and Olorunda.

ADC’s performance was considerably lower across most of the state. The party’s strongest result among the figures supplied was in Ejigbo, where it recorded 5,053 votes.

Why Adeleke Won Despite APC Taking 11 LGAs

The central story of the election was not just how many LGAs each candidate won, but the margins they accumulated in those areas.

Adeleke’s victories in several key areas produced large vote advantages, which ultimately outweighed APC’s gains.

Ede North and Ede South Prove Crucial

The two Ede councils emerged as particularly important battlegrounds.

In Ede North, Adeleke won 35,427 votes, while Oyebamiji received 10,283. The governor therefore gained a margin of 25,144 votes.

In Ede South, Adeleke recorded 26,188 votes against APC’s 6,219, producing a further 19,969-vote margin.

Combined, the two LGAs delivered 61,615 votes to Adeleke, compared with 16,502 for Oyebamiji.

That gave Adeleke a net advantage of 45,113 votes from Ede North and Ede South alone.

Osogbo Gives Adeleke Another 6,006 Votes

The state capital, Osogbo, also played a major role.

Adeleke secured 36,480 votes, while Oyebamiji polled 30,474, giving the governor a difference of 6,006 votes.

ADC received 1,503 votes in Osogbo, its highest figure among the 30 LGAs in the supplied results.

The Osogbo result was significant because it showed Adeleke maintaining an advantage in an urban area where APC also had substantial support.

Adeleke Takes Most of the Ife Axis

Adeleke also performed strongly across the Ife area.

He won Ife East with 27,201 votes against APC’s 18,600, a margin of 8,601 votes.

In Ife Central, Adeleke scored 21,171 votes while Oyebamiji secured 15,913, producing a 5,258-vote difference.

Adeleke further won Ife North, polling 13,879 votes against APC’s 9,613, a margin of 4,266 votes.

APC claimed Ife South, where it scored 14,678 votes against Accord’s 13,507, giving it a 1,171-vote advantage.

Across the four Ife LGAs, Adeleke accumulated 75,758 votes, while APC recorded 58,804, leaving Adeleke with a combined advantage of 16,954 votes.

More Key Victories for the Governor

Adeleke’s lead was further strengthened by victories in Egbedore, Iwo and Oriade.

In Egbedore, Adeleke won with 19,278 votes against APC’s 11,194, giving him an 8,084-vote margin.

In Iwo, the governor scored 27,085 votes, while Oyebamiji received 19,660, producing a 7,425-vote advantage.

Adeleke also won Oriade, where he polled 21,343 votes against APC’s 14,863, a difference of 6,480 votes.

APC’s Strongest Areas Were Not Enough to Close the Gap

Oyebamiji’s 11 LGA victories demonstrated that APC remained a strong contender in Osun.

One of his biggest victories came in Irewole, where APC secured 29,972 votes compared with Accord’s 10,934. The result gave Oyebamiji a 19,038-vote advantage in the LGA.

APC also won Boripe by a margin of 7,515 votes, after polling 19,963 votes against Adeleke’s 12,448.

The party recorded additional victories in Olorunda, Ilesa East, Ife South, Ola-Oluwa, Isokan, Obokun, Atakumosa West and Atakumosa East.

However, the overall margins generated by these victories could not compensate for the larger vote advantages Adeleke accumulated in his strongholds.

66,252 Votes Separate Adeleke from Oyebamiji

The final figures underline the importance of vote distribution in the Osun governorship election.

Although APC won 11 local government areas compared with Adeleke’s 19, the Accord candidate accumulated 511,067 votes statewide.

Oyebamiji finished with 444,815 votes.

The difference of 66,252 votes was enough to return Adeleke to office.

The huge margins recorded in the Ede axis, combined with his victories in Osogbo, the Ife area, Egbedore, Iwo and Oriade, created a lead that APC’s victories elsewhere could not overturn.

INEC’s declaration therefore confirmed Adeleke as the winner of the Osun governorship election, securing another term in office.

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