By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
On Saturday, August 15, 2026, a total of 1,906,390 registered voters in Osun State are expected to go to the polls to elect a governor to pilot the affairs of the “Land of Virtue” for the next four years.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), candidates from 15 different political parties are set to contest in the election, with the inclusion of the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) following a court ruling.
The list of candidates jostling to occupy the Government House in Osogbo includes the incumbent governor, former commissioners, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, entrepreneurs, technocrats, and medical practitioners.
Although recent events in the state show that the major battle is expected to revolve around the leading candidates of the Accord Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), other contenders are campaigning with the promise of good governance, accountability, economic development, and improved welfare for citizens.
As voters in Osun State prepare to elect their preferred candidates on Saturday, Impact Nigeria Newspaper profiles the 15 contenders in the 2026 governorship poll.
Ademola Adeleke (Accord Party)
The incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, is seeking another term on the platform of the Accord Party, a party he formally announced joining on December 9, 2025, following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) due to an internal party crisis.
Before joining politics, Adeleke, who has earned the moniker ‘dancing governor’ because of his love for dancing, had business and corporate interests in Nigeria and the United States.
The 66-year-old came into political limelight after winning the Osun West Senatorial District by-election on July 8, 2017, on the platform of the PDP to replace his late brother, Isiaka Adeleke, who won the seat in 2015. Adeleke represented the senatorial zone between 2017 and 2019.
He first contested the Osun governorship election in 2018 on the platform of the PDP but lost to the candidate of the APC, Gboyega Oyetola.
Four years later, Adeleke recontested the governorship seat and defeated Oyetola to become governor, taking office on November 27, 2022.
The 2026 election is Adeleke’s attempt to secure a fresh mandate and extend his administration for another four years.
Olanrewaju Farinloye (Action Alliance)
Olanrewaju Farinloye is the Action Alliance (AA) candidate in the 2026 Osun State governorship race.
Farinloye is an indigene of Ilesa and says his candidacy is a call to public service rather than a pursuit of personal ambition.
He boasts of being a son, brother, and friend of the people of Osun, stressing that his candidacy is that of duty and not ambition.
Farinloye is contesting alongside Fadahunsi Olaniyi as the deputy governorship candidate.
Clement Adesuyi (Action Peoples Party)
Clement Adesuyi is contesting the 2026 Osun State governorship election on the platform of the Action Peoples Party (APP).
He emerged as the party’s standard-bearer in December 2025 and is seeking to turn the APP’s presence in the state into a serious governorship challenge.
His campaign priorities include youth empowerment, healthcare, education, and infrastructure, which he identifies as central to the state’s development.
Olajide Esan (African Action Congress)
Olajide Esan is one of the youngest contenders in the 2026 Osun State gubernatorial election, with his candidacy largely youth-oriented.
The 39-year-old entrepreneur and car dealer emerged as the African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in the state through a consensus arrangement.
Esan has campaigned strongly on transparency and citizen participation. One of his proposals is a public financial dashboard through which residents would be able to monitor government spending.
He has also promised to tackle vote-buying and create mechanisms that would make public officials more accountable to residents.
Esan is contesting the governorship seat alongside Bello Yekeen as his running mate.
Najeem Salaam (African Democratic Congress)
Najeem Salaam, the candidate of the ADC in Saturday’s election in Osun State, is one of the more experienced political figures in the race, with a political presence dating back to 2007.
Salaam, who hails from Ejigbo, holds a doctorate in political science from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, and has spent years in Osun politics.
He was first elected to the Osun State House of Assembly in 2007, although the result was later nullified by the Court of Appeal over the omission of his party’s logo from the ballot paper.
Salaam returned to the Assembly in 2011 and subsequently became Speaker, a position he held from 2011 to 2015. He was re-elected in 2017 and remained in the Assembly until 2019.
The ADC candidate has often said he is running to build on the achievements of previous administrations while addressing gaps in governance and delivering a people-centred government.
Adeagbo Opawoye (African Democratic Party)
Adeagbo Yemisi Opawoye, the only female candidate among the 15 candidates vying for the 2026 Osun State governorship election, is the candidate of the African Democratic Party (ADP).
Opawoye is a retired school principal with a Bachelor of Education degree and is also among the oldest candidates in the gubernatorial race.
Her leadership model emphasises workers’ welfare and human development, and a campaign that seeks to provide voters with a female alternative in a contest dominated by male candidates.
Opawoye is contesting alongside 43-year-old Atanda Babatunde as the deputy governorship candidate.
Bola Oyebamiji (All Progressives Congress)
Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, the candidate of the APC in the 2026 Osun State governorship election, is an indigene of Ikire in Irewole Local Government Area.
Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, brings considerable experience in finance and public administration to the contest.
He previously served as the Commissioner for Finance in the state between 2017 and 2022 under the administrations of Rauf Aregbesola and Gboyega Oyetola.
The 60-year-old subsequently became managing director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), a position he resigned from in November 2025 to pursue his governorship ambition.
Oyebamiji’s campaign promise focuses on tackling poverty and hunger while investing in agriculture, education, healthcare, and human capital.
Adesina Adeyemi-Doro (All Progressives Grand Alliance)
Adesina Adeyemi-Doro was the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2026 election in Osun State.
Adeyemi-Doro, however, withdrew from the contest barely one week before the election and endorsed the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
Despite his withdrawal from the election, Adeyemi-Doro will still be on the ballot on Saturday.
Adewale Adebayo (Allied Peoples Movement)
Adewale Adebayo is contesting on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
Adebayo is a real estate developer and Chief Executive Officer of Tri Edge Real Estate. He also has an academic background in public administration and economic policy.
His campaign has focused on fighting corruption, generating employment, and providing what he describes as the executive leadership required to reposition Osun.
Adeleke Masilo (Boot Party)
Adeleke Masilo, the candidate of the Boot Party in the 2026 Osun State governorship election, previously contested the Senate in 2023 but was unsuccessful.
The University of Ilorin graduate is campaigning on the promise of a people-focused administration, with citizens’ welfare and wellbeing at the centre of governance.
Taofeek Adeleke (New Nigeria Peoples Party)
Taofeek Adeleke is the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) following his emergence as the party’s standard bearer in December 2025.
His candidacy provides an opportunity for the NNPP to expand its political presence in Osun and Western Nigeria beyond the established political blocs, particularly in the North.
The 52-year-old, who is vying for the Osun governorship seat alongside Adeyera Adesola as running mate, has vowed to defeat the incumbent and pursue a path of sustainable development in the state.
Saliu Oyelami (Peoples Redemption Party)
Saliu Oyelami is the flagbearer of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the 2026 governorship election in Osun State.
Oyelami is a medical doctor with over two decades of experience in medical practice, including working at the Osogbo Muslim Hospital and the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, as well as medical practice in Taraba State.
Oyelami is also the Chief Medical Director of Shifauk Hospital Group.
His educational background includes studies at the University of Ilorin and the International University of Africa in Khartoum, as well as training in journalism at the International Institute of Journalism in Abuja.
The medical practitioner was a governorship aspirant under the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in 2018 but stepped down for another candidate before the polls.
He previously contested the Osun State gubernatorial election in 2022 under the platform of the NNPP.
Oyelami’s running mate in the 2026 gubernatorial race is Adewale Solomon.
Francis Olugbenga Ajala (Social Democratic Party)
Francis Olugbenga Ajala, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2026 Osun State governorship race, and his running mate, Faseke Babajimi Oladipo, were included on the ballot on Wednesday, August 12, in compliance with a court ruling.
INEC said the action was taken in compliance with the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered on July 22, 2026, in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/344/2026, in a matter between the SDP and Dr Francis Olugbenga Ajala on one hand and INEC on the other.
Dr Ajala’s five-point election campaign manifesto focuses on economic management and accountability, professionalism and performance, equity in access to service, local content and innovation, and security.
Olalekan Ogunsakin (Young Progressives Party)
Olalekan Ogunsakin is the Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate in the 2026 gubernatorial race, with Taye Oyetola as his running mate.
Ogunsakin describes himself as an accomplished Nigerian-American physician-scientist, pathologist, board-certified toxicologist, and medical educator.
He also obtained a PhD from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, specialising in pulmonary system research and earning the prestigious Tulane 34 award.
Ogunsakin’s campaign seeks a departure from the state’s traditional political establishment and a different direction in governance.
Adefemi Adesuyi (Zenith Labour Party)
Adefemi Adesuyi is the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate in the 2026 governorship election in Osun State.
He has positioned himself as an alternative to the dominant political parties, arguing that many voters are dissatisfied with the continued influence of the major political blocs.
His agenda focuses on accountable and citizen-driven governance, better public services, economic opportunities and greater involvement of residents in monitoring government performance.
