……..The trajectory of Senator Ademola Adeleke in Osun governorship politics
By Abiodun Emmanuel
If politics in Osun were a trilogy movie, Governor Ademola Nurudeen-Jackson Adeleke would have starred in all three parts of a One-on-One, Online, and Offline defeats.
Across three consecutive governorship contests, the man fondly called “the Dancing Senator” has faced off against the APC, first as a fresher, then as an opposition challenger, and finally as an incumbent, with a trajectory that political observers now describe, with a chuckle, as comical.
ACT 1: In 2018, THE ‘ONE-ON-ONE’ AS FRESHERS
Party: PDP
Main Opponents:
Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola — APC
Iyiola Omisore — SDP
It was billed as a straight fight between two fresh political heavyweights. On September 22, 2018, Adeleke led on the first ballot, but INEC declared the election inconclusive.
A rerun followed on September 27, this time, Oyetola was declared winner. Adeleke protested, calling it a “coup.” The legal battle went to the tribunal and eventually the Supreme Court, which then affirmed Oyetola, as the Verdict: was Lost after the rerun.
ACT 2: 2022, THE ‘ONLINE’ WHILE GOVERNOR WAS IN THE SADDLE
Party: PDP
Main Opponent: Gboyega Oyetola — APC, incumbent governor
Other contender: Lasun Yusuf — LP, 2,729 votes
Four years later, Adeleke returned for a rematch, this time with the full machinery of the opposition and social media buzz was behind him. The election of July 16, 2022 was decisive.
Adeleke polled 402,979 votes to Oyetola’s 375,077. Other tallies put it at 403,371 vs 375,027. He won in 17 of 30 LGAs.
The courts later upheld his victory all the way to the Supreme Court and the Verdict was Won.
ACT 3: In 2026, THE ‘OFFLINE’ WHILE OYETOLA PUSHED FROM ABUJA
Party: Accord Party, after defection from PDP
Main Opponents:
- Bola Oyebamiji — APC
- Najeem Salaam — ADC
14 candidates were cleared in total
This time in 2026, the script had changed, Adeleke now as the incumbent, but on a new platform. The election of August 15, 2026 was described as a three way race, with all three frontrunners hailing from Osun West.
On August 16, 2026, INEC declared Adeleke winner with 511,067 votes. Oyebamiji polled 444,815 votes. Adeleke won 19 of 30 LGAs, and the Verdict was a Winning as he was re-elected.
THE SCOREBOARD
Out of 3 contests:
- 2018: Lost to Gboyega Oyetola (APC) and Iyiola Omisore (SDP)
- 2022: Defeated Gboyega Oyetola (APC)
- 2026: Defeated Bola Oyebamiji (APC) and Najeem Salaam (ADC)
Political commentators note the irony: from “one-on-one” as a fresher in 2018, to “online” as a challenger unseating a sitting governor in 2022, to “offline” as an incumbent defending his seat on a different party platform in 2026.
In all three, the APC was the principal opposition, and in the last two, Adeleke came out on top.
For Osun, the Adeleke story has become more than elections. It is about persistence, reinvention, and the ability to turn political setbacks into comebacks, as referred to a one-on-one, online, and offline defeats.
Picture Credit: Online
