Follow Us on Google
By Lateef Dada, Osogbo
As the August 15, 2026, governorship election in Osun State draws nearer, the 14 participating political parties are intensifying their efforts while high-stakes political alliances are being severely tested. Major political contenders, particularly the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Accord Party, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), are ramping up their strategies and deploying rigorous campaigns to win over the electorate.
An interesting dynamic of the election is that the three major flagbearers hail from the Osun West Senatorial District, shaping the zone into the ultimate battleground. The contest will play out across the ten local government areas in Osun West: Ayedaade, Ayedire, Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore, Iwo, Ejigbo, Irewole, Isokan, and Olaoluwa.
Bola Oyebamiji of the APC hails from Ikire, the headquarters of Irewole Local Government. Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party is from Ede (Ede North Local Government), while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Hon. Najeem Salaam, hails from Ejigbo (Ejigbo Local Government).
Hon. Salaam, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, has maintained relentless momentum, engaging stakeholders and voters across the state. While not traditionally viewed as a frontrunner, Salaam could leverage the support of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola to secure crucial votes, particularly in his native Osun West. Aregbesola’s political caucus, the Omoluabi Progressives, which formed the ADC in Osun, remains steadfast, insisting the party will not step down for anyone despite rumour of romance with the APC. Salaam has consistently won Ejigbo Local Government due to his local popularity, and residents are expected to deliver massive votes for him now that he is running for governor.
Meanwhile, Oyebamiji faces an intense local contest in Ikire. The Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, who also serves as the Director-General of the Imole Campaign Council, Senator Lere Oyewumi, similarly hails from Ikire. Irewole Local Government is expected to be fiercely contested as voters weigh local loyalty against party alignment. Senator Oyewumi remains a primary political rival to Oyebamiji in the area.
However, Oyebamiji also enjoys formidable backing in Ikire from prominent APC figures, including former Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Olubunmi Foluke-Etteh, immediate past Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi, and Peter Babalola, former Chief of Staff to Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and immediate past Chairman of the Governing Council of the Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun. Together, they are forming a united front against the opposition in Irewole Local Government and the joint efforts against Senator Oyewumi may help APC in winning the area.
Other notable APC chieftains from the region include former Minister of Police Affairs Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan and former Minister of Youth and Sports Development Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, both from Ode-Omu in Ayedaade Local Government. The district also feels the heavyweight presence of Dotun Babayemi, a grassroots mobilizer from Gbongan in Ayedaade Local Government, which borders Irewole.
Having previously contested the APC senatorial ticket, Babayemi boasts deep roots in the district, further cemented since 2017 through regional health initiatives and targeted loan programs for artisans and traders. These efforts helped position him as a top contender in the last APC primary, which was eventually won by Oyebamiji with the backing of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
Since contesting the 2022 governorship primary against Governor Adeleke, Babayemi has not relented in mobilizing supporters in the zone. Now firmly in the APC, his influence is set to heat up the race in Osun West. Therefore, Ayedaade local government remains the stronghold of APC and the party may win the Saturday election in the local government.
Other notable defectors boosting the APC in Osun West include Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi. Ogunbiyi, the Group Chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc and the Accord Party’s 2022 governorship candidate, joined the APC in 2023 and is now the party’s Osun West senatorial candidate, wielding considerable clout around Iwo. Ogunbiyi is from Ile-Ogbo in Ayedire Local Government and is supported by Hon. Yinusa Amobi, who represented the Ayedire/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023. Amobi hails from Kuta in Ayedire Local Government. The APC is dominating the l local government and may win the place.
Additionally, the recent endorsement of the APC’s Oyebamiji by former State Secretary Alhaji Fatai Akinbade has given the party a significant boost in Olaoluwa Local Government, where Akinbade commands strong grassroots control.
However, in Ede, Governor Adeleke’s stronghold, political heavyweights are locking horns. The Adeleke dynasty remains a powerful force in Ede North and Ede South, historically winning both areas in landslides against the opposition. Rep. Bamidele Salaam, a former Chairman of Egbedore Local Government and a second-term member of the National Assembly representing Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore, and Ejigbo, serves as the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee for the Imole Campaign Council, working vigorously to solidify Adeleke’s support base. Having secured the Accord ticket to remain in the House of Representatives, he has displayed full readiness for the battle.
Challenging this dynamic is Hon. Adejare Bello, Chairman of the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University and a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly. Despite the massive loyalty commanded by the Adeleke dynasty in Ede North and South, Bello is striving to chip away at the Governor’s margins for the APC. This is not the first time Bello has challenged the might of the Adeleke family, though cutting into Ede North, Ede South, and Egbedore will remain an uphill climb for the APC across the ten local governments of Osun West.
Other News
Osun East presents another critical theatre for the election. The Ife area covers Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, and Ife South, while Atakunmosa East, Atakunmosa West, Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Obokun, and Oriade form Ijesaland.
Governor Adeleke’s deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi, hails from Ile-Ife, as does the APC deputy governorship candidate, Kayode Adereti. While both deputies are viewed by some as low-profile, the ultimate decider in Ile-Ife may be Senator Iyiola Omisore. Although Omisore is officially a member of the APC campaign council, reports indicate that roughly twenty of his loyalists have recently defected to the Accord Party. Rumors continue to swirl regarding Omisore’s own political future; reportedly aggrieved after being screened out of the governorship primary, he has allegedly refused reconciliation with party leadership.
Meanwhile, Hon. Taofik Ajilesoro, the lawmaker representing Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, and Ife South, has defected to the APC to secure his second-term ticket after previously starring as a strong PDP member. His involvement in the upcoming election is vital as he looks to retain his seat in the National Assembly.
In Ijesaland, Senator Francis Fadahunsi has long dominated the zone. His community empowerment programs, youth engagement, and development projects in Ilase (Obokun Local Government) have made him a formidable political figure. The Director-General of the Bola Oyebamiji Campaign Organization, Hon. Wole Oke, who represents the Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, is also from Obokun. He is currently serving his fifth term and has secured an automatic ticket for a sixth term under the APC. It has been difficult for any party to challenge Oke in the area.
This dominance will be challenged by Accord Party candidates, including Osun East senatorial candidate Ibukun Fadipe, factional PDP chairman Sunday Bisi (who is working for Governor Adeleke), and Accord’s Ijesa South House of Representatives candidate, Popoola Alaba.
However, the APC is expected to hold strong in the zone due to the local popularity of Oke and Fadahunsi, alongside APC stalwarts Babatunde Ayeni (who represented Atakunmosa East/West and Ilesa East/West from 2019 to 2023) and Hon. Sanya Omirin who is representing Ijesa South Federal constituency in the House of Representatives.
Osun Central is expected to present a formidable wall against the Accord Party. The zone includes Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Odo-Otin, Irepodun, Ila, Boluwaduro, Ifedayo, and Orolu.
APC National Secretary Dr. Ajibola Basiru hails from Osogbo and will be backed by Hon. Lekan Badmus, Executive Director of Marine and Operations at the Nigerian Ports Authority, making Osogbo a tough terrain for the Accord Party.
Conversely, Accord’s senatorial candidate, Hon. Gani Olaoluwa, maintains strong control in Olorunda Local Government.
In Boripe, the presence of former Governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, alongside former Commissioner for Local Government Adebayo Adeleke, gives the APC a firm grip. Odo-Otin will also see fierce competition, though the presence of APC House of Representatives candidate for Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin, Hon. Damilare Francis Eniade, former PDP Board of Trustees member, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun and the recent endorsement of Oyebamiji by the former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola tilt the odds toward the APC. They will, however, be challenged by House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Wale Egbedun.
In Ila-Orangun, the hometown of APC leader, Chief Bisi Akande, the ADC deputy governorship candidate, Temitope Yemisi Agiri, will test her local footing, though her impact may be offset by the heavy concentration of ruling-party heavyweights in the zone.
Similarly, while the lawmaker representing Ila/Boluwaduro/Ifedayo, Hon. Clement Akanni Olohunwa, remains a strong Accord figure in Ila and has historically challenged Chief Akande’s popularity, the race remains tight.
Finally, in Irepodun Local Government, Information Commissioner, Kolapo Alimi and Accord Southwest Secretary, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, are expected to deliver votes for Accord. However, potential protest votes from Ilobu, stemming from community grievances alleging Alimi favored his hometown of Erin-Osun during recent local conflicts, could complicate Accord’s path to victory there.
With the stage set and battle lines drawn across the senatorial districts, the August 15 election promises a tense and fiercely contested showdown.
