- 14 candidates are on the ballot for the Osun State governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026
- Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, APC’s Bola Oyebamiji, and ADC’s Najeem Salam are the three names drawing the most attention
- The three frontrunners each bring distinct political backgrounds and records to what is shaping up as a fiercely contested race
Osun State is heading into its most watched political contest in years, with 14 candidates on the ballot for the governorship election set for Saturday, August 15, 2026.
While the field is broad, three candidates have emerged as the most prominent contenders: incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Najeem Salam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Source: Facebook
Adeleke Seeks a Second Term
Adeleke, widely known as “Imole,” first attempted the governorship in 2018 under the Peoples Democratic Party but lost to Adegboyega Oyetola.
He returned in 2022, defeated the then-incumbent Oyetola, and was sworn in on November 27 that year, Channels TV reports.
Source: Facebook
His path to politics began earlier, in July 2017, when he won a Senate seat representing Osun West, filling the vacancy left by the death of his elder brother, Adetunji Adeleke.
Now seeking re-election, the Ede indigene is pointing to his administration’s work in infrastructure, health, and agriculture as his case for a second term.
Oyebamiji Brings Finance and Public Service Experience
On the APC side stands Bola Oyebamiji, a banker and financial expert from Ikire in Irewole Local Government Area. He served as Osun’s Commissioner for Finance through the later years of Rauf Aregbesola’s tenure and the full term of Adegboyega Oyetola, between 2017 and 2022.
Source: Facebook
He later became Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) before resigning in November 2025 to focus on his governorship campaign. Popularly called “AMBO,” a shortening of his full name, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, he is making his financial and administrative record central to his pitch to voters.
Salam Returns With Higher Ambitions
Najeem Salam, the ADC candidate, is a familiar figure in Osun politics. A native of Ejigbo who holds a doctorate in political science, Salam won a seat in the State House of Assembly in 2011 after an earlier 2007 victory was annulled by the Court of Appeal over a ballot paper error.
Source: Facebook
He rose to become Speaker of the House in June 2011, served until 2015, and returned to the Assembly again from 2017 to 2019. Known among supporters as “Iwaloye,” he is now targeting the governorship for the first time.
The Rest of the Field
Beyond the three frontrunners, 11 other candidates are also in the race, including Adewale Adebayo of the Allied Peoples Movement, Saliu Oyelami of the Peoples Redemption Party, and Olalekan Ogunsakin of the Young Progressives Party. Among the broader field is the election’s only female candidate, Yemisi Adeagbo of the African Democratic Party, a retired school principal aged 84.
When voting opens on August 15, the people of Osun State will determine which of the 14 candidates earns the mandate to govern the State of the Living Spring for the next four years.
Osun’s Adeleke told to put trust in grassroots mobilisation
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that politician and media executive Babatunde Michael Abimboye has urged Osun state governor Ademola Adeleke and the Imole Campaign Council to focus more on grassroots mobilisation and citizen participation rather than relying on assurances from the Federal Government ahead of future elections in the state.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos, Abimboye said recent developments in Osun raised concerns about the political atmosphere and security situation.
Source: Legit.ng