The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2026 Osun State election, Bola Oyebamiji, has officially chosen Benjamin Adereti, a former House of Representatives candidate, as his running mate ahead of the August 15, 2026 poll.
The development follows the release of the final list of candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), confirming the political parties and their nominated candidates for the Osun governorship election.
Adereti previously contested the 2023 House of Representatives election for Ife Federal Constituency under the APC platform but lost to Bimbo Ajilesoro of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
His emergence replaces Tunde Olatunji, a former Osun State lawmaker who had earlier been listed as Oyebamiji’s running mate in an earlier submission.
Other Candidates and Running Mates in the Osun 2026 Governorship Race
According to the list released by INEC, several other political parties have also finalized their deputy governorship candidates for the upcoming election.
Former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam, who is contesting on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), selected Yemisi Agiri as his running mate.
Meanwhile, the incumbent governor Ademola Adeleke will contest the election under the Accord Party, retaining his current deputy Kola Adewusi as his running mate.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate, Adeleke Adewale Taofeek, has named Adeyera Oluwabusola Adesola, 36, as his deputy governorship candidate.
Similarly, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate Adesuyi Olufemi will run with Abdulsalam Olamide, while the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate Esan Olamide selected Bello Muideen Yekeen as his running mate.
INEC Confirms 14 Political Parties for Osun Governorship Poll
In a letter titled “Forwarding of Final List of Candidates for the 2026 Osun State Governorship Election,” INEC Secretary Dr. Rose Oriaran-Anthony confirmed that the final list of candidates was released in accordance with the Electoral Act.
The commission noted that March 9, 2026 is the deadline for the official publication of the final list of nominated candidates.
INEC also confirmed that 14 political parties have been cleared to participate in the Osun State governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026.
Notably, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) are among the major political parties that currently do not have candidates listed for the election.
