Adeleke Pledges to Turn Osun Into Industrial Hub

Governor Ademola Adeleke has pledged to use his renewed mandate to accelerate the economic transformation of Osun State, with a vision of moving the state away from heavy dependence on the civil service and towards industrial and commercial development.

Adeleke made the commitment shortly after he was declared winner of the 2026 Osun State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.

The governor, who contested the election under the Accord Party, defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in the keenly contested poll.

According to the results announced at the INEC collation centre in Osogbo, Adeleke secured 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji polled 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes. Adeleke also recorded victories in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11. 

Speaking after his victory, Adeleke said the result represented more than a personal electoral success, describing it as an endorsement by the people of Osun of the direction of his administration.

He pointed to areas including infrastructure, education and agriculture as sectors where his administration had made progress, saying the renewed mandate would provide an opportunity to build further on those efforts.

The governor said his administration’s next phase would focus on expanding economic opportunities and changing the structure of the state’s economy.

“My vision is to make sure Osun State moves from civil service state to industrial state,” Adeleke said.

The governor further appealed to his closest challenger, Oyebamiji, to accept the outcome of the election and congratulate him, stressing that the contest should not create a permanent division among the people of the state.