OsunDecides2026: Makinde Congratulates Adeleke, Says Voters’ Will Prevailed

Seyi Makinde congratulates Ademola Adeleke on his Osun re-election, saying the victory reflects the will of voters.

Damilare Adebayo · August 16, 2026 · 147

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has congratulated Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election, saying the outcome of the governorship election reflected the will of the people.

Makinde, in a message posted on his verified X account on Sunday, described Adeleke as his brother and said his victory followed a long and difficult political journey.

He wrote, “Hearty congratulations to my brother, His Excellency Ademola @AAdeleke_01 on his reelection as Governor of Osun State.

“It has indeed been a long and arduous journey, but we are delighted that the will of the good people of Osun State prevailed in the end.”

The message came shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Adeleke the winner of Saturday’s Osun governorship election.

Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes.

Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11, securing the incumbent governor a second term in office.

The victory also marked the first time the Accord Party would win a governorship election in Osun State.

Adeleke’s defection from the PDP was followed by significant political realignments, including the movement of 25 members of the Osun State House of Assembly and six members of the House of Representatives to the Accord Party.

Makinde has remained a prominent political ally within the wider opposition camp, making his congratulatory message significant as political actors assess the implications of Adeleke’s victory ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Osun election was preceded by intense campaigns, political realignments and disagreements among the major parties.

Makinde’s message focused on the electorate, stressing that after what he described as a “long and arduous journey”, the ultimate outcome was that the will of Osun voters prevailed.