The 2026 Osun State Governorship election is fast approaching and a lot of politicians have been warming up to play an active role comes 2016. In the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state, there are new and old politicians, especially those who have contested and lost in the previous elections, they are all showing interest to dislodge the current administration.
Many power brokers in the APC and other political parties in the state seem to be in agreement that the current Peoples Democratic Party-led government in the state is performing below the people’s expectations. In many quarters in the state, there is a strong feeling that Governor Ademola Adeleke may be defeated in the coming elections if other parties can present good candidates, especially from APC that has been ruling the state in the past.
There’s also another theory that it will be difficult to defeat the incumbent governor Adeleke because of his achievements in the last few years in government. There are those who believe that he has worked so well and the people of Osun love him. As the 2026 gubernatorial election in the state draws nearer, City People ISAAC ABIMBADE (08155107955), brings to you 5 governorship aspirants who have begun work to dislodge incumbent governor Ademola Adeleke.
SENATOR AJIBOLA BASHIRU
He’s one of the politicians who has been eyeing the no1 seat in the state for the past few years. He feels he’s more than qualified to contest and the only obstacle that has drawn him back is stepping down for ex governor Adegboyega Oyetola. Presently, he’s been going around the state to meet with people to sensitive them on the coming election and he has become a strong force in the race. Senator Bashiru is a top All Progressives Congress member and top APC hierarchy in the state are behind him.
Ajibola Basiru, a Nigerian Senator known for his contributions to both the legal and legislative spheres is the national secretary for the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).
Basiru was elected alongside Abdullahi Ganduje, the former governor of Kano State, at the 12th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the APC.
ADEGBOYEGA OYETOLA
He is currently the first person that is being tipped from Osun All Progressives Congress as their flagbearer to face the incumbent governor Ademola of the Peoples Democratic Party. He is the leader of the party in the state and he stands a good chance of dislodging the current administration.
He contested for the Osun State gubernatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 2018 gubernatorial election and won. On 23 March 2019, a tribunal declared him to have not been legally returned and ordered INEC to issue certificates of return to Senator Ademola Adeleke of the PDP, which was contested at the Court of Appeal.Before he won the election, he was the Chief of Staff to his predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola.
He was appointed minister of transportation by President Bola Tinubu on 16 August 2023, but redeployed four days later to the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
DR OYELEKE AJIBOYE
One of the new comers to the race is Iragbiji born first-class Harvard University graduate, Dr Oyeleke Ajiboye. He is a young man who has excelled in his Real estate business.
His family is one of the top decision makers in Osun State politics and affairs. He believes that his resume and pedigree are more than enough to dislodge Governor Ademola Adeleke in 2026.
Dr. Oyeleke Ajiboye is the Founder and Managing Director of Efficacy Construction Company Limited. He has decades of experience in the Real Estate Development, Construction, and Project Management Fields. He has numerous degrees in different fields ranging from Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Housing and Estate Development, Behavioural finance, and Social Housing to Law.
Dr. Oyeleke started his preliminary education at Niger Pre-Age International Home School, Ipaja, Lagos; this was followed by his secondary education at Command Day Secondary School, Ikeja, Lagos,and later at Community Grammar School, Ipaja, Lagos.He continued his tertiary education at the Lagos State Polytechnic where he studied Electrical/Electronics Engineering before going further to receive a bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering from the prestigious University of Lagos, Akoka.
He bagged a Ph.D. in Housing and Estate Development and doing a second PhD in Behavioral Finance at the Aston Business School, Birmingham, UK.
KEHINDE MUNIRUDEEN
Kehinde Munirudeen has been in the Osun politics for a while. He feels the state and the people of Osun need him the most. Who is Kehinde Munirudeen Atanda? He is a prominent London based lawyer and Nigerian politician. However, little was known about him until he came into the political scene in 2018. He was one of the Osun State governorship candidates in the July 2022 election on the Action Democratic Party (ADP)
Kehinde Munirudeen Atanda has been practising law as a senior advocate and partner at his law firm in the United Kingdom. He is gaining popularity in Nigeria following his declaration to vie for the Osun State governorship seat.
ADEBAYO ADEOLU
Adebayo Adeole is one of the youngest Gubernatorial candidate ever contested in Osun gubernatorial election. 7 years ago, he was 35 abd he contested but lost. He said he joined the race to offer good governance to the people of the state.
Presenting his 7-point agenda for the people of Osun a few years ago, Adebayo expressed confidence that he would be considered as a worthy governor by the people of Osun State one day.
The former YDP aspirant said that he has the capacity to rule the state and deliver the dividends of democracy to the people. He solicited for support of the residents of Osun to vote for him and to enable him achieve his ambition.
With his 7-point agenda, the youngest gubernatorial candidate in the gubernatorial election promised to take the state to greater heights if elected.
The good news now is that, this man is 42 years old now and he is ready again to slug it out with other contestants in the coming gubernatorial election in the state
According to him, “My agenda for Osun include employment opportunities via modern system of farming. We will create not less than a million jobs from all departments of agriculture and other links to agriculture.
“We shall introduce buying back policy to ease the farmers challenges associated to sales. This will help to create jobs for all and generate not less than 200% increase in the state Internally Generated Revenue. This first agenda is capable of solving every other problem, he concludes.
