There was jubilation across major towns in Osun on Sunday following the declaration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the 2026 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Residents and supporters of the governor took to the streets of Osogbo, Ile-Ife, Ede and other parts of the state to celebrate the outcome of the keenly contested election.
In Osogbo, supporters who had gathered around the INEC collation centre from as early as 5:00am broke into celebration shortly after the final results were announced.
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They danced and sang around the commission’s premises, while others moved through major streets on motorcycles and in vehicles, displaying the Accord Party’s colours and celebrating Adeleke’s victory.
INEC declared Adeleke the winner in the early hours of Sunday after he secured 511,067 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, said 985,079 votes were valid, while 20,721 votes were rejected, bringing the total votes cast to 1,005,800.
Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.
Jubilation in Ile-Ife
Similar scenes were recorded in Ile-Ife, where residents celebrated Adeleke’s return for another term.
Some residents who spoke during the celebrations commended the peaceful conduct of the election, while calling on relevant authorities to address lapses observed during the exercise.
The Osun State Commissioner for Transportation, Olusesan Oyedele, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, saying the exercise was largely peaceful.
Oyedele commended INEC officials and security agencies for their roles in the electoral process.
Ede residents celebrate
In Ede North and Ede South, residents also trooped into the streets to celebrate the governor’s victory.
Motorcycles and vehicles were seen moving through parts of the town as residents danced and sang following INEC’s announcement of Adeleke as the winner.
Some residents, while commending the electoral process, urged INEC to address the challenges recorded during the election ahead of future polls.
The election was keenly contested by Adeleke and Oyebamiji, with both candidates securing victories in several local government areas across the state.
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