3 Reasons APC Could Win Osun Governorship Election 2026
- The Osun governorship election is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026, with over 1.9 million permanent voter cards (PVCs) holders eligible to vote
- APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji has attracted support from a factional Accord Party and a PDP faction led by ex-governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola
- The contest is widely seen as a three-way race, with several smaller parties stepping aside to back the leading candidates
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Osogbo, Osun state - The Osun state governorship election, set for Saturday, August 15, 2026, is drawing growing national attention as political parties wrap up their campaigns and voters prepare to go to the polls.
The state has 2,339,233 registered voters, of whom 1,906,390 collected their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) and are eligible to cast ballots on election day. The poll will be Nigeria's second off-cycle governorship election this year, following Ekiti state's vote in June 2026.
Source: Twitter
With the next general election due in 2027, Osun is one of the last major electoral tests before the national vote.
The Osun gubernatorial election race has effectively narrowed to three frontrunners, with several parties and political figures dropping their own ambitions to back one of the leading candidates, particularly the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
Why the APC could win in Osun
1) Federal might gives APC structural advantage
Analysts point to federal might as one of the most significant factors that could tilt the election in the APC's favour.
The ruling party at the federal level has historically been able to mobilise substantial resources and logistical support during off-cycle elections, giving it a structural advantage over opposition parties.
2) Grassroots mobilisation could prove decisive
Grassroots mobilisation is a second factor working in the APC's favour.
The party has been running an active campaign across local government areas, reaching communities that could prove decisive in a close contest.
3) Cross-party support broadens Oyebamiji’s coalition
Perhaps the most striking factor, however, is the consolidation of political interests behind Oyebamiji. The factional Accord Party's presidential candidate and National Chairman, Prof. Christopher Irene Imumolen, announced that the party had withdrawn its support for incumbent Governor Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke and swung behind the APC candidate.
In addition, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun, led by former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, also declared its backing for Oyebamiji ahead of the August 15 poll.
This convergence of support from across party lines gives the APC a broader coalition than it might otherwise have commanded going into the election.
Read INEC’s tweet on the movement of personnel and sensitive election materials to the Registration Area Centres (RACs) below:
Read more on Osun election 2026
- Oyebanji, Adeleke to know fate as INEC announces dates for Ekiti, Osun governorship elections
- Osun 2026: 5 reasons Adeleke may win second term bid
- Osun 2026: 3 reasons Ademola Adeleke may lose second term bid
Osun 2026: Adefila makes appeal
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Ibrahim Adefila, the senatorial candidate of the Youth Party for Osun Central in the 2027 elections, has sent a key message to political stakeholders ahead of the 2026 Osun state governorship election.
In a statement made exclusively available to Legit.ng on Friday, August 14, 2026, Adefila issued a direct appeal to voters, security forces, and rival campaigns to ensure the exercise passes without bloodshed.
Adefila stated that his interest in this weekend's contest is purely civic. With no candidate on the ballot for his party, he framed his intervention as the concern of an ordinary citizen rather than a partisan actor.
Source: Legit.ng
