Osun 2026: Why Adeleke’s Victory Could Strengthen Tinubu’s Democratic Record

The 2026 Osun governorship election is being presented as more than a contest between political parties. Governor Ademola Adeleke reportedly secured a second term on the Accord Party platform with 511,067 votes, ahead of the APC’s Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas. The larger argument is that democracy benefits when the ruling party can lose an election and the result is accepted. President Bola Tinubu’s reported congratulatory call to Adeleke is cited as evidence that political competition need not become political warfare. Osun’s elections since 2014 show how quickly political fortunes can change: APC dominance in 2014, a razor-thin APC win in 2018, Adeleke’s victory in 2022, and his expanded margin in 2026. The key test for Nigeria’s democracy is not whether the ruling party always wins, but whether voters are free to choose and electoral outcomes are respected.

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