FILE: Governor Ademola Adeleke and APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji
With the Osun State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, the leading candidates have intensified their campaigns, with each seeking to consolidate support in traditional strongholds while making inroads into areas where their opponents have stronger political structures.
The major contenders are the incumbent Governor, Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party; the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji; and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam.
All three candidates are from Osun West Senatorial District. Adeleke and Salaam are from the Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, while Oyebamiji hails from the Irewole/Isokan/Ayedaade Federal Constituency.
After nearly four years in office, Adeleke is relying partly on projects executed by his administration to strengthen his appeal across the state.
The governor is expected to secure strong support in the two Ede local government areas, his home base, as well as Egbedore, where Bamidele Salam, the lawmaker representing his federal constituency, hails from.
The influence of Adeleke’s running mate, Kola Adewusi, and former PDP National Secretary, Prof Wale Oladipo, could also strengthen his position in Ife Central, Ife East and Ife South.
However, the presence of APC running mate Benjamin Adereti, who is from Ile-Ife, could pose a challenge to Adeleke in the three Ife councils.
Adeleke’s camp will also be watching the role played by former APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore. Any active support for Oyebamiji could strengthen the APC’s position in areas where the governor is seeking to consolidate his support.
Adeleke’s campaign organisation has also made inroads into Ifelodun, Ila, Oriade, Iwo, Ifedayo, Orolu and Olaoluwa.
The support of former Osun Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti, who is from Iwo, could also benefit Adeleke, particularly across the Iwo Federal Constituency.
However, the governor faces a potential challenge from Amin Ogunbiyi, the APC senatorial candidate for the 2027 election, whose influence could affect Adeleke’s support in the area.
Osogbo and Olorunda
The two local government areas in Osogbo, the state capital, are expected to be highly competitive, with the three leading candidates capable of securing significant votes.
The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, has openly backed Adeleke, while APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and the party’s 2027 senatorial candidate, Adekunle Adegoke (SAN), are working to strengthen the APC’s position.
The continued influence of former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osogbo could also benefit Salaam in both Osogbo and Olorunda.
Olorunda presents a similar three-way contest, with Adeleke relying on his support network, Oyebamiji banking on APC structures and Salaam drawing on Aregbesola’s political influence.
Ayedaade, Irewole and Isokan
Oyebamiji is expected to rely heavily on support from the Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency.
The influence of former governorship aspirant Dotun Babayemi, who hails from Gbongan, one of the major towns in the constituency, could give Oyebamiji an advantage over his rivals.
Odo Otin
The APC candidate could also benefit from the support of the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party led by former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, which may be critical to the party’s chances in Odo Otin.
However, the presence of Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Wale Egbedun, could limit the APC’s advantage and make the local government a closely fought contest.
Boluwaduro and Boripe
Oyebamiji also has a strong chance in Boluwaduro and Boripe, the political home of Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.
The APC candidate is similarly expected to perform strongly in Irepodun, Ife North and Obokun, where Senator Francis Fadahunsi represents Osun East.
The lawmaker representing Atakunmosa East/Atakunmosa West/Ilesa East/Ilesa West Federal Constituency, Sanya Omirin, is also expected to help the APC consolidate support in Atakunmosa East and Atakunmosa West.
However, Aregbesola’s influence could pose a challenge to Oyebamiji in Ilesa East, where the former governor comes from.
In Ilesa West, the APC campaign has been led prominently by the Executive Director, Project Implementation, Federal Housing Authority, Remi Omowaiye, with the party appearing stronger than its rivals in the area.
Salaam, meanwhile, remains a significant contender. Apart from Ejigbo, his home local government, he is expected to make strong showings in Ilesa East, Osogbo and Olorunda.
His eight-year tenure as Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly has given him a statewide political network. He has also inherited part of Aregbesola’s political structure while carrying some of the liabilities associated with the former governor.
The Main Battlegrounds
While Adeleke and Oyebamiji have clear traditional strongholds, the outcome could hinge on several closely contested local government areas.
- Osogbo
The state capital is shaping up as a major battleground. Adeleke and Oyebamiji are both making efforts to consolidate support, while Salaam has a significant presence through his political network and Aregbesola’s influence.
- Olorunda
The contest in Olorunda is similarly competitive, with the three leading candidates drawing support from different political blocs.
- Ife Central
Adeleke is expected to benefit from the influence of his running mate, Kola Adewusi, and other PDP-aligned figures. However, Oyebamiji could benefit from the local connection of his running mate, Benjamin Adereti.
- Ife East
The council is another area where Adeleke’s structure will face competition from the APC’s campaign network and Adereti’s local influence.
- Ife South
Adeleke is expected to perform strongly in the third Ife council, but the APC will be seeking to narrow the gap through its local structures.
- Odo Otin
The Oyinlola factor could strengthen the APC’s position, although Speaker Wale Egbedun’s political influence could make the contest more competitive.
- Ilesa East
Oyebamiji has a local advantage in the area, but Aregbesola’s influence and Salaam’s presence could complicate the APC’s calculations.
- Iwo
Adeleke has the backing of Moshood Adeoti, giving him an important advantage in Iwo. However, Amin Ogunbiyi’s influence could provide a counterweight for the APC.
- Ilesa West
The APC appears to have a strong structure in Ilesa West, with Remi Omowaiye playing a prominent role in the party’s campaign.
- Ejigbo
As Salaam’s home local government, Ejigbo could provide the ADC candidate with an important bloc of votes and test whether he can convert his local advantage into a broader statewide performance.
Candidates Predict Victory
The leading parties have expressed confidence in victory.
Osun APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, told The PUNCH that the party was projecting victory in all 30 local government areas.
“We are projecting winning in all 30 local governments in Osun State because of the acceptability and popularity of our candidate,” Olabisi said.
He added that Oyebamiji had visited all 30 local governments and area offices three times each, describing him as “a contender who is going into the election to win.”
The Accord Party dismissed the APC’s projection, with its spokesperson, Oladele Bamiji, predicting that Adeleke would win across all 30 councils.
“There is no local government that our candidate cannot win. We are winning all 30 local governments,” Bamiji said.
Efforts to obtain comments from ADC spokesperson Seun Abosede were unsuccessful as calls to his telephone line did not connect and he had not responded to a WhatsApp message as of the time of filing.
PSC Deploys Team to Monitor Police Conduct
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has deployed a delegation to Osun State to monitor the conduct of police personnel assigned to the August 15 governorship election.
The delegation is led by DIG Taiwo Lakanu (retd.), a board member and Chairman of the PSC Standing Committee on Police Matters.
According to a statement by the commission’s Head of Protocol and Public Relations, Torty Njoku Kalu, the delegation will monitor police personnel and ensure compliance with guidelines governing election duties.
The PSC said the deployment was intended to promote discipline and professionalism among officers before, during and after the election, while strengthening public confidence in the electoral process.
The commission urged all police officers deployed to Osun to remain apolitical, act professionally and protect citizens’ rights to vote freely and peacefully.
It also warned that officers found compromising the credibility of the election would face sanctions.
“The PSC reassures Nigerians that it will not hesitate to sanction any officer found compromising the credibility of the election,” the commission said.
The election is being contested by 15 political parties, while about 15,000 police officers have already been deployed across the state for the poll. In
