As Osun State prepares to elect a governor on August 15, the personalities, political histories, and track records of the three leading candidates are shaping up to be decisive factors in how voters cast their ballots.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that although incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke enters the race with the advantage of office, his two closest challengers are far from newcomers to Osun politics. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, served for eight years as Speaker of the State House of Assembly under former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, previously headed the Osun State Investment Company Limited (OSICOL) before serving as Commissioner for Finance under both Aregbesola and his successor, Gboyega Oyetola.
Governor Ademola Adeleke (Accord)
Before becoming governor, Adeleke had served in the Senate but lacked prior executive experience, a gap critics have often pointed to when questioning his administrative capacity. In response, his campaign has leaned heavily on infrastructure achievements, citing the construction of more than 300 kilometres of roads within his first three years in office, while also pushing back against accusations that development has been skewed toward his hometown of Ede.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that a key pillar of Adeleke’s political appeal is his relationship with the state’s civil service, built around prompt salary payments and the clearance of arrears inherited from the Aregbesola era. Beyond policy, Adeleke draws considerable goodwill from his background as an entertainer, with his charisma and public dancing continuing to resonate strongly with younger voters. His profile is further boosted by the open backing of his nephew, Afrobeats star David Adeleke (Davido), which has helped extend his appeal among Gen Z voters.
On the flip side, internal disputes within Adeleke’s former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), pushed him into the Accord Party, a move that cost him an already-established political platform. Several prominent allies, including federal lawmakers who won on the PDP ticket alongside him, did not follow him to Accord. Political heavyweights such as former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former Secretary to the State Government, Fatai Akinbade, have either remained in the PDP or aligned elsewhere, leaving Adeleke’s new platform without the full strength of his previous coalition.
Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, AMBO (APC)
Oyebamiji’s candidacy is anchored on a calm demeanour and a reputation for disciplined professionalism. Although he lacked an independent political structure before declaring his bid, he now commands the full weight of the APC’s organisational machinery across the state.
CDA News Nigeria reports that Oyebamiji also enjoys the explicit backing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside the mobilisation of major political figures in the Osun East Senatorial District behind what has come to be known as the “AMBO project.” With the APC’s structures present across all 3,671 polling units in Osun, Oyebamiji’s ground game is seen as capable of rivalling the incumbent’s grassroots reach. Notably, because Adeleke, Oyebamiji, and Salaam all hail from the Osun West Senatorial District, that zone is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely contested battlegrounds of the election.
Oyebamiji’s chief vulnerability traces back to his time as Commissioner for Finance during Aregbesola’s second term, a period marked by the introduction of the controversial “modulated,” or half, salary structure for civil servants. Although he has repeatedly defended the policy as a negotiated response to financial constraints agreed upon with labour leaders rather than an arbitrary decision, the issue remains a sensitive one among public sector workers in the state.
Right Honourable Najeem Salaam (ADC)
During his eight years as Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Salaam presided over a period of legislative stability without major internal crises, earning him a reputation across party lines as a consensus builder and political gentleman. CDA News Nigeria gathered that his approachable style and clean legislative record have made him attractive to moderate voters seeking an alternative to the two dominant parties.
However, Salaam’s biggest challenge remains the limited organisational spread of the ADC in Osun State. Without the widespread structural footprint enjoyed by the APC or Accord, the party is not currently viewed by rival campaigns as a serious threat to clinch outright victory. Even so, given his personal standing in Osun West, political observers say Salaam could still emerge as a decisive spoiler, with whichever major candidate he aligns with in the final stretch potentially gaining a crucial edge in the race for Government House.
As the August 15 election draws closer, all eyes remain on how these strengths and vulnerabilities will play out among Osun’s electorate, particularly in the tightly watched Osun West Senatorial District, which all three leading candidates call home.
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