Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party is leading the 2026 Osun State governorship election with 425,693 votes, according to the latest figures on the Nigeria Election Intelligence System (NEIS) collation dashboard as of 11:39 p.m. on Saturday, August 15, 2026. He holds a 55,966-vote lead over his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who has polled 369,727 votes. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) trails in third with 14,296 votes. However, these results are provisional, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has yet to declare an official winner.
Current Standings and Vote Counts
The NEIS dashboard shows the following top four candidates:
- Ademola Adeleke (Accord): 425,693 votes (50.2%)
- Bola Oyebamiji (APC): 369,727 votes (43.6%)
- Najeem Salaam (ADC): 14,296 votes (1.7%)
- Olanrewaju Farinloye (AA): 4,246 votes (0.5%)
The three leading candidates collectively account for 809,716 votes. Adeleke's vote share represents 50.2% of the votes displayed on the dashboard. These figures are subject to change as more results are received and verified.
Collation Progress and Voter Turnout
As of the 11:39 p.m. update, results had been reported from 329 of Osun State's 332 wards, with 81.69% of polling units reporting. The dashboard recorded 1.98 million registered voters, 871,900 accredited voters, a 44% voter turnout, 848,800 valid votes, and 18,200 rejected votes. These numbers provide a snapshot of the election at the time of viewing and should not be confused with the final statewide result.
No Winner Declared Yet
Although Adeleke is currently ahead, he has not officially been declared the winner. The collation process is still ongoing, and the NEIS dashboard describes the data as unofficial, compiled from field-observer reports. The figures remain subject to the statutory authority of INEC, which is the only body empowered to declare the official result.
Candidates and Their Backgrounds
Governor Adeleke is the incumbent, seeking a second term. He won the 2022 Osun governorship election as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defeating then-governor Gboyega Oyetola of the APC. In that election, Adeleke polled 403,371 votes, while Oyetola received 375,027 votes. For the 2026 contest, Adeleke is running under the Accord Party banner.
Bola Oyebamiji, a former Osun State Commissioner for Finance, is the APC candidate and Adeleke's closest challenger. His campaign has received backing from prominent APC figures, including former Governor Gboyega Oyetola. With 369,727 votes, Oyebamiji trails Adeleke by 55,966 votes, and the remaining results will determine whether he can close the gap.
Najeem Salaam, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, is the ADC candidate in third place with 14,296 votes, representing 1.7% of the votes shown on the dashboard. He is well behind the two leading candidates, with the race largely centred on Adeleke and Oyebamiji.
Next Steps in the Collation Process
Osun State has 30 local government areas and 332 wards. Results are progressively collated through the electoral process. As more polling-unit results are received and verified, the standings could change. The next major milestone will be the completion of the official collation and the declaration of the statewide result by INEC. Until then, claims by candidates, political parties, social media users, or unofficial result trackers that a particular candidate has won should be treated cautiously. The final outcome will be determined once INEC completes its statutory process.
