Osun election: Defections, court battles, violence shape Accord, APC, ADC showdown
All eyes will be on Osun State tomorrow, August 15, 2026, as residents go to the polls to elect their next governor. DAILY POST reports that in the months leading up to the election, political realignments, prolonged legal battles, local government disputes, defections, allegations of political violence, and an increasingly competitive struggle for control of […] Osun election: Defections, court…
Osun State will hold its gubernatorial election on August 15, 2026. The campaign has been marked by political re-alignments, legal disputes, local government issues, defections, political violence and a fierce contest for control. The election continues a political struggle that began in the 2022 governorship poll where PDP candidate Ademola Adeleke defeated APC governor Adegboyega Oyetola by a margin of 403,371 votes to 375,027.
In 2023, Adeleke sought re-election under the Accord Party, while Oyetola, now a Federal Minister, supported APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji. Najeem Salaam, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, is contesting under the African Democratic Congress.
The 2022 election led to a court battle. The Supreme Court affirmed Adeleke's victory in May 2023, but Oyetola remained influential in the Federal Executive Council. In 2025, local government elections deepened the political divide. The APC claimed to have re-appointed its previous council officials, while the PDP maintained they were still vacant.
Violence broke out during the campaigning, with PDP and APC supporters clashing in Ilesa, wielding dangerous weapons. Despite the clashes, the PDP won all council positions in the poll, but the situation remains unresolved as both sides claim legitimacy.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Post Nigeria's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
