Former Kano State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has congratulated Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on his victory in the August 15, 2026 governorship election, saying the result reaffirmed the power of the people’s mandate.
Kwankwaso, in a statement posted on his verified X account on Sunday, described Adeleke as his friend and commended Osun voters for participating in the electoral process.
“As a leader of the opposition and a committed democrat, I commend the people of Osun State for exercising their democratic rights and reaffirming the power of the people’s mandate,” Kwankwaso said.
The former governor also congratulated the people of Osun for what he described as their active participation in determining the political leadership of the state.
According to the official result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Adeleke, the candidate of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, who secured 444,815 votes.
Adeleke therefore won by a margin of 66,252 votes, securing a second term in office after defeating 14 other candidates who contested the election.
The result marked another chapter in Adeleke’s political career after he first emerged governor in the 2022 governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. He later moved to the Accord Party ahead of the 2026 election and secured the party’s ticket to seek re-election.
The 2026 election was conducted on Saturday, August 15, following months of political campaigns and realignments involving major political parties and prominent politicians in the state.
Adeleke’s victory also comes against the backdrop of a significant political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the governor and his party among the political actors who have publicly engaged with broader opposition and national political developments.
Kwankwaso said the outcome of the Osun election demonstrated that citizens remained central to the democratic process and that political leaders must respect the decisions made by voters at the ballot box.
“This victory is a reminder that when citizens remain committed to their civic responsibilities and make their voices heard, the people’s will must prevail,” he stated.
He urged Nigerians to remain committed to democratic participation, stressing that elections provide citizens with an opportunity to determine who governs them.
The NDC vice-presidential candidate also commended INEC for conducting the election and urged the electoral body and other stakeholders to sustain efforts towards credible and peaceful elections.
“I also commend the Independent National Electoral Commission for the conduct of the election and encourage all stakeholders to continue to uphold the principles of credible, peaceful and transparent elections,” he said.
Kwankwaso’s comments come shortly after INEC formally declared Adeleke the winner at the state collation centre in Osogbo on Sunday. Channels Television reported that the governor secured 511,067 votes to emerge victorious.
The APC candidate, Oyebamiji, was Adeleke’s main challenger in the contest, with the two candidates accounting for the overwhelming majority of votes cast in the election. Reports on the final result confirmed Adeleke’s 66,252-vote margin of victory over the APC candidate.
The election was also closely watched because of its potential implications for Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections. Osun is considered politically significant because of its strategic position in the South-West and the influence of its political actors beyond the state.
For Adeleke, the victory provides a renewed mandate to continue his administration’s programmes for another term. His first election victory in 2022 had ended the APC’s hold on the state after Governor Gboyega Oyetola lost his re-election bid to Adeleke.
The latest election also produced another important political development as Adeleke contested under the Accord platform rather than the PDP, the party under which he won his first term.
His movement to Accord was part of the wider political changes preceding the 2026 election, as parties and politicians repositioned themselves ahead of the 2027 national contest.
Kwankwaso, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the prominent figures in the opposition political space ahead of 2027. His congratulatory message to Adeleke therefore carries significance beyond a routine post-election message, coming at a time when opposition figures are increasingly engaging in political realignment and coalition-building.
Other opposition leaders, including former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, also congratulated Adeleke following his victory. Obi described the result as an affirmation that the people retain the power to choose their leaders, while Saraki called the re-election a vote of confidence in Adeleke’s administration.
Kwankwaso concluded his message by congratulating the governor and the people of Osun State on the outcome of the election.
“Congratulations once again to Governor Adeleke and the good people of Osun State,” he added.
The former Kano governor’s statement also comes as political parties begin to assess the implications of the Osun result ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly regarding voter mobilisation, opposition cooperation and the ability of emerging political alliances to challenge established parties.
West Trybe reports that Adeleke’s 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815 gave the incumbent governor a clear 66,252-vote victory and secured his return for a second term. The result is also significant because it was achieved under the Accord Party after Adeleke left the PDP, making the election an important indicator of the impact of Nigeria’s continuing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
