Davido Celebrates as Uncle Ademola Adeleke Wins Re-Election as Osun Governor

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has won re-election, securing another four-year mandate after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him the winner of the 2026 Osun State governorship election.

The result followed a closely watched election in which Adeleke, running on the platform of the Accord Party, defeated his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Oyebamiji.

Beyond the political contest itself, the election also attracted significant attention because of the unusually prominent role played by Nigerian music star Davido, Adeleke’s nephew, who became one of the most visible figures in the governor’s re-election campaign.

Ademola Adeleke Declared Winner of Osun Governorship Election

INEC declared Ademola Adeleke the winner of the Osun State governorship election on Sunday, August 16, 2026, after the collation of results from the election held on Saturday.

Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who recorded 444,815 votes.

The result gave Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes.

The incumbent governor also secured victories in 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11 LGAs.

The result confirms Adeleke’s return for another term as governor after he first assumed office in 2022.

The final figures announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) placed Adeleke clearly ahead of his closest challenger, bringing the state’s closely contested governorship race to an end.

Osun Governorship Election 2026: The Final Numbers

Source: Independent National Electoral Commission and reports on the final collation of the Osun governorship election.

How Adeleke Got to the 2026 Election

Adeleke’s journey to the 2026 election was itself part of a significant political realignment in Osun State.

The governor, who originally won the 2022 governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), left the party and moved to the Accord Party ahead of his re-election bid.

According to the Osun State Government, Adeleke formally unveiled Accord as his new political platform in December 2025 and presented the party as the vehicle through which he would seek a second term.

He said the decision was influenced by his desire to continue his administration’s programmes and focus on the welfare of citizens and workers.

The political move became one of the defining features of the 2026 campaign, particularly because Adeleke was seeking re-election outside the platform on which he originally became governor.

Despite the change in platform, the governor’s campaign continued to build a broad political structure across the state, with the election eventually becoming a major test of his personal support and grassroots strength.

Davido Became a Major Figure in Adeleke’s Campaign

While Adeleke remained the candidate at the centre of the election, his nephew David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, became one of the most recognisable faces associated with the campaign.

Davido’s involvement went considerably beyond simply appearing at a political rally.

In the months leading to the election, the internationally recognised Afrobeats star became actively involved in youth mobilisation for Adeleke’s re-election campaign.

Reports in the Nigerian media described Davido as a leading figure in the campaign’s youth mobilisation structure, giving him a formal role in efforts aimed at connecting the campaign with younger voters.

The musician subsequently became increasingly vocal about the election, using his enormous social-media audience to draw attention to the political contest and encourage participation.

His involvement was particularly notable because of the size of his following both in Nigeria and internationally, giving messages about the Osun election a reach far beyond the state’s traditional political audience.

Davido Put His Social-Media Influence Behind the Election

Davido’s campaign activity extended heavily into social media.

In the days leading up to the election, he repeatedly addressed the contest online, urging voters and political actors to allow the electoral process to take place peacefully and transparently.

Rather than treating the election simply as a family political contest, Davido publicly framed parts of his intervention around the broader issue of protecting the integrity of the ballot.

He called for voters to be allowed to freely make their choices and repeatedly warned against violence, intimidation and electoral manipulation.

His online activity became significant enough to attract national media attention, turning some of his social-media posts into part of the wider conversation surrounding the election.

Davido Called on Trump and the International Community to Watch the Election

One of the most widely reported aspects of Davido’s pre-election campaign was his appeal to United States President Donald Trump and the international community to pay attention to the Osun governorship election.

Davido said he would escalate concerns about any serious electoral irregularities and called for international attention to the process.

In an appeal reported by Nigerian media, the singer urged Trump and international actors to monitor the election and pay attention to the safety of voters and the integrity of the democratic process.

The intervention generated considerable discussion because it placed a major Nigerian entertainment figure at the centre of an international conversation about a state-level election.

Importantly, Davido’s comments were about monitoring, transparency and protecting the electoral process; they should not be interpreted as evidence that any foreign government intervened in the election.

Davido Celebrates After Adeleke’s Victory

Following INEC’s declaration, Davido celebrated his uncle’s victory on social media.

The singer posted a brief message celebrating the result, writing “We did it, Uncle.”

The reaction came after months of highly visible campaigning in which Davido had repeatedly used his public platform to support Adeleke’s re-election bid.

His celebration quickly became part of the post-election conversation, with supporters highlighting the musician’s commitment to the campaign and his constant online presence throughout the electoral process.

Did Davido’s Campaign Efforts Help Adeleke Win?

Davido’s role is undoubtedly one of the most interesting elements of the 2026 Osun election, but it is important to distinguish between political influence and proven electoral causation.

There is clear evidence that Davido campaigned for Adeleke, mobilised young people, appeared at campaign activities and used his social-media platforms extensively to promote the governor’s re-election bid.

His celebrity status also gave the campaign access to an audience that traditional political communication may not have reached as effectively.

However, there is no reliable way to establish that Davido alone caused Adeleke’s victory.

The election was decided by voters across Osun State, and Adeleke’s 511,067 votes reflect the collective choices made at polling units across the state.

What can reasonably be said is that Davido became an important and highly visible part of Adeleke’s campaign strategy, particularly in relation to youth engagement and digital mobilisation.

Why Davido’s Role Stood Out

Celebrity involvement in politics is not new in Nigeria, but Davido’s participation in the 2026 Osun election stood out because of the intensity and consistency of his involvement.

He did not simply appear at one campaign rally, take photographs and return to his music career.

Instead, he repeatedly discussed the election, participated in mobilisation efforts, addressed political issues and used his social-media platforms to keep the contest in front of his followers.

Reports also indicated that Davido temporarily placed his music activities on the back burner to focus on his uncle’s re-election campaign, further demonstrating the level of personal involvement he brought to the contest.

This made the musician an unusual political campaign figure: a global entertainment personality whose influence extended into grassroots political mobilisation in his home state.

What Adeleke’s Re-Election Means for Osun State

Adeleke’s victory gives him another four years to implement his agenda and continue the programmes of his administration.

The result also gives the governor a fresh opportunity to consolidate his political position and pursue the development priorities he presented during the campaign.

Before the election, Adeleke’s administration highlighted areas including infrastructure, workers’ and citizens’ welfare, agriculture, healthcare, education and job creation as key priorities.

His re-election now means that voters will have the opportunity to judge the administration not only on its campaign promises but also on what it delivers during the second term.

The new mandate also places greater responsibility on the governor to address the expectations of residents across Osun’s three senatorial districts.

What Happens After the Election?

With INEC’s declaration now settling the immediate electoral contest, attention will gradually shift from campaigning to governance.

Adeleke’s administration will face the task of translating the renewed mandate into tangible improvements for residents while maintaining accountability and public confidence.

The opposition, meanwhile, will be expected to scrutinise the administration and continue playing its constitutional role within Osun’s political system.

For the people of Osun State, the most important part of the election is ultimately what happens after the votes have been counted.

The governor now has another mandate, and the coming years will determine how effectively his administration uses it.

The Bigger Story Behind Adeleke’s Victory

The 2026 Osun governorship election was more than another contest between political parties.

It was also a test of Adeleke’s political strength, his decision to contest under the Accord Party platform, the ability of his campaign structure to mobilise voters and the influence of public figures such as Davido in modern Nigerian political communication.

The result ultimately went in Adeleke’s favour.

With 511,067 votes, a 66,252-vote margin over his closest rival and victories in 19 LGAs, the incumbent secured another term in office.

For Davido, the victory closes a highly unusual chapter in which one of Africa’s most recognisable music stars became a major participant in a state governorship campaign.

For Adeleke, however, the celebrations now give way to a more demanding responsibility: governing Osun State for another four years and delivering on the expectations that came with the renewed mandate.

Final Take

Ademola Adeleke has been declared the winner of the 2026 Osun State governorship election, defeating APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji with 511,067 votes to 444,815.

The victory secures Adeleke another term as governor, while Davido’s extensive involvement has emerged as one of the defining human-interest and political angles surrounding the election.

From youth mobilisation and campaign appearances to his repeated social-media interventions on electoral transparency, Davido remained highly visible throughout the contest and celebrated publicly after INEC announced his uncle’s victory.

Whether Davido’s celebrity influence materially changed individual voting decisions is impossible to quantify from the election result alone. What is clear, however, is that his participation helped make the Osun governorship contest a much bigger conversation across Nigeria’s entertainment and social-media landscape.

Now, with the election decided, the attention returns to governance — and to whether Adeleke’s second term will deliver the progress Osun voters expect.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on August 16, 2026, following the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration of Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the Osun State governorship election.

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