Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has declared that the 2026 governorship race should be defined by performance, challenging his opponents to campaign on their records in office. He insisted that “Osun will never go back to the dark days,” as he accepted his nomination as the Accord Party’s candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election.

Speaking after delegates from the 332 wards affirmed his candidacy, Adeleke thanked the party’s leadership and supporters. “The confidence you have reposed in me is greatly appreciated. I assure you that I will not take it for granted,” he said.

Adeleke described his nomination as a continuation of what he called a transformative era in Osun. He said his administration had delivered on long-standing promises, adding: “We are today launching the battle for continuity of progress, good governance, and democratic dividends. My candidacy signals the sustenance of the golden movement when the light of development continues to shine across our state.”

Reflecting on his achievements since 2022, the governor said his administration had restored citizens’ trust in government. “We note today as the point of resolution never to go back to the dark days but to advance further into the journey of modernisation. In the last three years, we actualised the yearnings and aspirations of our people. Ours is a government of talk and do.”

He challenged opposition parties to defend their time in office, stating: “In their days in government, what were their deliverables to the people of Osun State? How did they run or manage the state? What legacy did they leave? In their days in power, they failed the people; they failed their party; they even failed themselves.”

Adeleke maintained that his administration “outperforms, outshines, and surpasses the records of the opposition,” highlighting improvements in education, infrastructure, debt reduction and health care. “That Osun moved from number 33 under the APC government to number 7 under my leadership in a national examination rating cannot be disputed,” he said. He also cited the reduction of the state’s infrastructure deficit by over 40 per cent, repayment of more than 40 per cent of inherited debt, and Osun’s first-place ranking in access to primary health care in the Southwest.

He pledged expanded development if re-elected, noting that he had “substantially delivered” on his initial five-point agenda. He unveiled an upgraded five-point agenda centred on citizens’ welfare, infrastructure consolidation, agro-industrial expansion for youth empowerment, innovations in social sectors, and a better business environment for job creation.

Announcing the primary election results in Osogbo, the Secretary of the Electoral Committee, Abdulazeez Salaudeen, said Adeleke, the sole aspirant, scored 145 votes, with five voided ballots. He declared the governor the winner, describing the process as duly monitored by agents and Independent National Electoral Commission officials.

The primary was held under tight security, with police, Department of State Services operatives and INEC officials present. Governor Adeleke’s deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi, top aides and associates attended, while several key PDP figures including State Chairman Sunday Bisi, House Speaker Wale Egbedun, state lawmakers, and PDP National Assembly members were notably absent.