Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has secured the Accord party’s governorship ticket for the 2026 Osun election after delegates unanimously endorsed him during the party’s primary held in Osogbo on Wednesday.
The party’s National Organising Secretary and Chairman of the Screening Committee, Ibe ThankGod, confirmed that all 150 accredited delegates participated in the exercise, which formally produced Adeleke as Accord’s flagbearer ahead of the 8 August 2026 governorship poll.
Adeleke’s emergence was announced in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed. By winning the primary, the governor met the 15 December deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political parties to conclude their nomination processes.
Following his endorsement, the governor unveiled an upgraded five-point agenda for his 2026 campaign. According to Rasheed, the agenda focuses on integrated citizens’ and workers’ welfare; infrastructure consolidation for economic growth; expanded agro-industrial development for youth empowerment; innovation in health, education and social care; and an improved business environment to drive job creation.
Adeleke described his candidacy as a continuation of what he termed the administration’s “golden movement,” pledging not to deviate from his “rewarding service to our people.”
“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,” he said.
He added that his administration had fulfilled the aspirations of residents over the past three years, contrasting this with what he called “failed promises” of previous governments.
The governor’s nomination comes shortly after he resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on 1 December, citing the party’s national leadership crisis.
In his resignation letter, Adeleke thanked the PDP for the platform on which he served first as senator for Osun West and later as governor.
A week after his resignation, the governor publicly announced his move to the Accord party, although he disclosed he had quietly joined the party on 6 November, following a similarly quiet departure from the PDP on 4 November.
In a challenge to his anticipated rivals, the governor urged them to campaign based on verifiable records.
“In their days in governments, what were their deliverables to the people of Osun State? How did they run or manage the state? What legacy did they leave?” he asked, insisting that opposition figures had failed both their parties and the electorate.
Adeleke cited several achievements in office, noting that Osun’s national examination ranking improved significantly under his administration, while the state’s infrastructure deficit and inherited debt burden were substantially reduced. He also highlighted Osun’s top performance in access to primary healthcare across the South West.
According to him, governance in the state under his leadership has demonstrated that “leadership can actually serve the people,” adding that he had surpassed the targets set in his original five-point agenda introduced in 2022.
“To the good people of Osun, the 2026 race is not just about running on our records; we are bringing new innovations and new packages to take our people to new levels of development,” he said.
