Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has officially emerged as the governorship candidate of the Accord Party for the August 8, 2026 election, securing 145 votes in the party’s primary held on Wednesday in Osogbo.
Adeleke, who defected to the Accord Party on Tuesday after resigning from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was also confirmed as the sole aspirant by the party’s Screening Committee. The committee chairman and National Organising Secretary, Ibe ThankGod, said the governor met all nomination requirements and described him as a “worthy gubernatorial aspirant.” A certificate of clearance was subsequently presented to him.
In his acceptance speech, Adeleke said his administration’s track record in the last three years had earned him the mandate to seek a second term, declaring that Osun State would “never go back to the dark days.”
“The confidence you repose in me is hugely appreciated. I assure you that I will not take it for granted,” he told delegates from the state’s 332 wards.
Framing his candidacy as a “battle for continuity of progress, good governance, and democratic dividends,” Adeleke said his entry into the race symbolised the sustenance of a “golden movement” marked by steady development across the state.
He criticised opposition parties for what he described as years of failed governance, challenging them to present their records to the electorate.
“In their days in government, what were their deliverables? What legacy did they leave? They failed the people, failed their party, and even failed themselves,” he said. “Despite harassment and blockages, my administration outperforms, outshines, and surpasses the records of the opposition.”
Highlighting his achievements, the governor said Osun had risen from 33rd to 7th position in a national examination ranking under his leadership. He also cited a 40 percent reduction of the state’s infrastructure deficit, repayment of over 40 percent of inherited debt—confirmed by the Debt Management Office—and Osun’s emergence as first in primary healthcare access in the Southwest.
Adeleke announced an upgraded five-point agenda for his re-election campaign: integrated citizens’ and workers’ welfare; infrastructure consolidation for economic prosperity; expanded agro-industrial growth for youth empowerment; innovations in health, education, and social care; and an improved business environment for job creation.
“I am ready for the primary, and I am ready for the general elections. We are winning by God’s grace,” he declared, assuring supporters that new policies and innovations would accompany his bid for a second term.
The Accord Party is now positioned to carry Adeleke into what promises to be a keenly contested 2026 governorship race.
