• Governor Ademola Adeleke, saying, “That’s me,” following the election victory.

The candidate of the African Democratic Congress in the Osun State governorship election, Najeem Salaam, and the former Governor of Sokoto State and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Tambuwal, have applauded Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election.

They expressed their congratulations in a separate message affirming the outcome of the poll showed that democracy had prevailed.

Salaam said that the choice of the people must be respected, regardless of political differences.

He said, “I warmly congratulate His Excellency, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election as the Governor of Osun State. At the end of the day, the choice of the people must prevail. In any democratic process, there will always be choices, contestation and differing views, but what matters most is that the people are given the opportunity to decide. They have exercised that right, and their decision deserves our respect and support.”

Salaam urged Adeleke to use his second term to reflect on areas where his administration had fallen short, while consolidating on its achievements.

Likewise, Tambuwal, in a congratulatory message posted on his X account on Sunday, said that Adeleke’s renewed mandate demonstrated the power of the electorate to freely determine who leads them through the ballot.

“This victory is not only a personal triumph for Governor Adeleke; it is a victory for democracy and, above all, a victory for the people of Osun State, who have once again exercised their constitutional right to determine who leads them,” he said.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said the ballot remained one of the strongest instruments available to citizens in a democratic system.

Tambuwal, however, urged the governor to see the renewed mandate as a greater responsibility to govern inclusively and serve all residents of the state, regardless of their political affiliations.

“As he prepares to continue the work of governance, I urge him to see this renewed mandate as an even greater responsibility to serve all the people of Osun State, irrespective of political affiliation,” he said.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election in the just-concluded Osun State governorship election, describing the victory as a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in Nigeria under the All Progressives Congress administration.

In a statement from the State House, the President said he telephoned the governor earlier in the day to offer his congratulations.

“I called Governor Ademola Adeleke earlier today to congratulate him on his election victory in Osun State. His victory once again confirmed the confidence the people of Osun State have in him,” Tinubu said.

He wished the governor success in his second term and urged him to prioritise unity and development.

“I wish him great success as he prepares to lead the state for the next four years. Now that he has won, Governor Adeleke must unite the people of Osun State and rally them for growth, stability, and social and economic progress, regardless of the political choices they made at the election,” the President added.

Tinubu also saluted the other candidates for their role in strengthening the democratic process.

“I salute the courage and discipline displayed by other contestants in the election. Their participation deepened and enriched our country’s democratic culture. The outcome of the election reflects the will of the people and is a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in our land.”

The President further commended the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies for conducting a peaceful and transparent poll that produced a clear winner.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party the winner of the Osun State governorship election held on Saturday, August 15, 2026.

State Returning Officer Professor Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, announced the results at the INEC collation centre in Osogbo in the early hours of Sunday. Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.

Adeleke secured victory in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won in 11. The winning margin stood at 66,252 votes.

According to the official figures, Osun had 2,339,544 registered voters. A total of 1,010,684 voters were accredited, with 1,005,800 votes cast. Of these, 985,079 were valid and 20,721 were rejected.

Ogunwole declared: “Ademola Nurudeen-Jackson Adeleke having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner of the August 15 Governorship election and returned elected.”

The result followed overnight collation from all 30 local government areas. Adeleke, who first won the seat in 2022, will now serve a second term.