Osun decides: Adeleke, Oyebamiji, Salaam locked in tight gov battle
August 5, 2026 12:00 am
With just days to the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, the race remains one of the most competitive in the state’s political history. Although 14 candidates are on the ballot, the contest has increasingly narrowed to the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke (Accord Party), Bola Oyebamiji (APC) and the ADC candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam, BOLA BAMIGBOLA writes
Political observers are still studying the landscape for clues about where the pendulum may eventually swing, with less than two weeks to the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
Although 14 candidates are on the ballot seeking the votes of more than 2.3 million registered voters, the contest has increasingly narrowed to three leading contenders: incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, the immediate past Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Bola Oyebamiji, and Dr Najeem Salaam, a former Executive Director of Marketing and Business Development at the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited.
Interestingly, all three frontline candidates are from Osun West Senatorial District. They also have extensive political experience, having held both elective and appointive positions at the state and national levels.
Before becoming governor in 2022, Adeleke represented Osun West Senatorial District in the Senate from 2017 to 2019, succeeding his late elder brother, Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, who died while serving as senator.
Oyebamiji, on his part, is the longest-serving Commissioner for Finance in Osun State, having spent a cumulative five years in the position under the administrations of former governors Rauf Aregbesola and Adegboyega Oyetola. His tenure earned him recognition as one of the state’s most experienced public finance managers.
Salaam began his political career as Supervisory Councillor for Health in Ejigbo Local Government in 1999 before serving for more than a decade in the Osun State House of Assembly, representing Ejigbo State Constituency. He spent eight of those years as Speaker, serving throughout Aregbesola’s two-term administration.
Despite vigorous campaigns by their supporters, none of the three candidates has established a clear lead. Each appears to have a realistic path to victory.
Judging by the turnout at their campaign unveiling, the race remains evenly balanced. Although attendance at Adeleke’s campaign launch in Osogbo did not quite match the massive crowds that characterised his 2022 campaign, it was substantial enough to demonstrate his enduring political strength.
Similarly, the impressive crowds that attended the campaign flag-offs of Oyebamiji and Salaam, held on separate occasions in Ile-Ife, underscored their determination and capacity to mount a serious challenge against the incumbent.
Beyond campaign rallies, the visibility of the three candidates across communities and among various interest groups also suggests that the contest remains highly competitive, making it difficult to identify a clear favourite.
Osun’s political history
The 2026 governorship election will be Osun State’s eighth governorship contest, including the annulled 2007 election.
The poll is already showing signs of becoming one of the state’s most fiercely contested elections, with no obvious frontrunner among the three leading candidates, each of whom has demonstrated significant political strength.
Since the maiden governorship election held in December 1991, barely five months after the creation of Osun State, governorship contests in the state have generally followed a familiar pattern, with most remaining highly competitive until the final votes are counted.
From all indications, the 2026 election appears set to follow that tradition. Political observers also believe that rising insecurity in parts of the state could become a significant factor in determining the outcome.
If re-elected, Adeleke, who hails from the same federal constituency as ADC candidate Salaam, would become only the second governor in Osun’s history to secure a second term in office.
His re-election bid is anchored on the infrastructure projects and other programmes executed by his administration. However, political observers believe his opponents may seek to capitalise on allegations that his government has concentrated developmental projects in and around his hometown of Ede.
Another factor that could affect Adeleke’s re-election prospects is the candidacy of Salaam, the ADC candidate, who hails from Ejigbo, the community with the second-largest voting population in Ede Federal Constituency.
However, Adeleke’s personable disposition and strong relationship with civil servants, artisans and various trade groups are widely regarded as factors that could work in his favour.
Political observers also believe the prospect of Adeleke serving only one more four-year term, if re-elected, appeals to some influential politicians in Osun East and Osun Central, many of whom are already positioning themselves for the 2030 governorship contest.
For Oyebamiji, contesting on the platform of the APC, the party’s established structure and the availability of campaign resources have strengthened his chances.
Many of his supporters are also banking on the recent defections of prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC to boost the former NIWA managing director’s electoral fortunes.
Oyebamiji’s extensive knowledge of public finance, coupled with about 16 years of experience across various public service roles, is also considered one of the major strengths of his governorship bid.
Backed by a strong party structure and enjoying support from sections of the religious community, artisans and other interest groups, some public affairs commentators have described Oyebamiji as a potential “breath of fresh air” in Osun governance, citing his years of experience in public administration.
However, expectations that he will secure bloc votes from his hometown of Ikire may be tempered by the influence of Senator Lere Oyewumi, who also hails from the town and serves as the Director-General of Adeleke’s re-election campaign.
Another issue his opponents have highlighted is that this is Oyebamiji’s first time seeking elective office, a factor they argue could count against him.
Salaam’s political pedigree, built on victories in two previous elections, has also placed him in a strong position ahead of the poll. The growing acceptance of the ADC, despite being a relatively new political platform in Osun, has further enhanced his prospects.
Fondly called “Iwaloye” by his supporters, Salaam’s political network extends well beyond the Ejigbo constituency he once represented in the State House of Assembly, with many of his allies already mobilising support for his ambition.
The influence of former governor Rauf Aregbesola in several key voting centres across the state is also expected to benefit Salaam’s campaign. Political observers say Aregbesola has continued to deploy his political machinery in support of the former Speaker.
However, while Aregbesola’s influence could strengthen Salaam’s chances, some analysts believe opposition to the former governor among certain political stakeholders may also work against the ADC candidate.
Party leaders differ
Responding to questions about Adeleke’s chances, former Special Adviser to the Governor on Education and Director of Strategic Communications of the Imole Campaign Council, Jamiu Olawumi, insisted that the incumbent remains the candidate to beat.
“Opinions are free, but facts are sacred. Governor Ademola Adeleke is the favourite and the man to beat, judging by the facts on the ground. He has consistently defeated the APC whenever he has appeared on the ballot.
“In the 2017 Osun West Senatorial by-election, the 2018 governorship election at the first ballot before the then President Muhammadu Buhari allegedly influenced a rerun that favoured Oyetola, and again in 2022 when he defeated the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola.”
Highlighting Adeleke’s achievements, Olawumi added: “The governor has, in the last three and a half years, strengthened his credentials through massive infrastructure development, urban renewal, human capital development and the payment of 29 months of outstanding half salaries and pensions owed by the previous APC administration under Aregbesola and Oyetola, in which Bola Oyebamiji served.”
He added, “No reasonable worker or pensioner in Osun State would want a return to the APC years. The crisis currently affecting the local governments is being promoted by the serving Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, with council workers going unpaid for almost 18 months under their watch. The people of Osun will continue to reject these Trojan horses.”
However, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Osun APC, Kola Olabisi, said the coast was becoming clearer for Oyebamiji, insisting that Governor Adeleke’s popularity had continued to decline.
“The difference is clear and obvious to discerning people in the state who have watched, with disappointment, the futile efforts of Governor Ademola Adeleke to transform Osun. It is difficult for someone to give what he does not possess.
“The plight of Governor Adeleke in office can be likened to that of a car thief who snatched a vehicle at gunpoint but later discovered he could not even start the engine, let alone drive it away. That is the state of governance in Osun under Governor Adeleke,” Olabisi said.
He added, “There is too much money coming from Abuja, but the governor lacks the expertise to manage it effectively. He is incapable of thinking outside the box. It is on record that he has mismanaged over N1 trillion that has accrued to the state since the inception of his administration. The governor is attracted only to the glamour of the office, nothing more.
“He has been constructing substandard flyovers and roads that have developed professional and structural concerns, while neglecting critical sectors such as education, healthcare, youth and women empowerment, water supply and electricity.
“Our candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), is the clear favourite because he is a tested and trusted personality—a seasoned banker, accomplished administrator, successful farmer, two-term Commissioner for Finance and a resourceful former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, which he transformed during his tenure.”
Tough competition – CSOs
Two civil society organisations in Osun State—the Socio-Economic and Civic Rights Advocacy and the Centre for Good Governance—commended the keen competition among the leading candidates, describing it as healthy for democracy.
The Executive Director of the Socio-Economic and Civic Rights Advocacy, Emmanuel Olowu, and the Convener of the Centre for Good Governance, Wole Oladapo, said a competitive election in which every vote counts would ultimately benefit the people of Osun State.
“That is the essence of democracy. Elections should never have predetermined winners. The fact that none of the major political parties is certain of victory means they must all work to earn the confidence and votes of the people,” Olowu said.
Speaking on his expectations after the election, Oladapo said, “I expect that after August 15, 2026, all political actors will either accept the outcome or pursue any grievances through lawful means. Elections come and go, but the peace, unity and development of Osun State must remain our collective priority.”
Another civil society organisation, Dialogue 365, through its convener, Waheed Saka, also called for strict adherence to the rules governing the conduct of the election.
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