By Political excitement swept across Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State on Wednesday as Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election campaign train arrived to a rousing reception from thousands of supporters, party faithful, traditional rulers, and residents, evidencing the growing intensity of campaigns ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election.
The visit, organized by the Imole Campaign Council Committee, formed part of the Accord Party statewide grassroots mobilization drive and took the governor through major towns, including Okuku, Oyan, Inisa, Asi, Ekusa, Igbaye, Ekosin, Ijabe, Opete, and a host of other communities, where large crowds lined the streets to welcome the campaign convoy.
Proceedings began with a series of courtesy visits to traditional rulers across Odo-Otin, where Governor Adeleke sought royal blessings and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to community development. During the engagements, he highlighted his government’s investments in road infrastructure, education, healthcare, and other public projects, while pledging to sustain developmental efforts across the state if re-elected.
Christian faithful and residents, offering prayers for the governor’s second term bid.
One of the most remarkable moments of the tour occurred in Inisa, where a large gathering of Christian faithful and residents temporarily halted the governor’s convoy to offer prayers for his second-term bid. The congregation prayed for peaceful elections, divine guidance for the governor, and continued peace and development in Osun State.
The campaign later culminated in a grand rally at the Okuku Town Hall, where Governor Adeleke addressed a mammoth crowd of supporters, community leaders, youth groups, market associations, and women’s organizations.
Seeking a renewed mandate from the electorate, the governor urged residents to support the continuation of his administration’s programmes, promising to consolidate ongoing projects and expand development to rural communities. He also reiterated his renewed five-point agenda, with particular emphasis on rural infrastructure development, improved healthcare and education, economic empowerment, job creation, and enhanced social welfare.
The rally attracted several prominent political figures, including the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun; Aremo Adekunle Alao (Lele-lu); Hon. Rasheed Aderibigbe (Asendo); and Alhaji Raheem Adeleke (Baba Oyan), alongside party executives and other stakeholders.
In the same vein, royal fathers joined to pledge their support and offer their prayers; they included Oba Kilani Oyedare Adekeye, the Oloyan of Oyan; Oba Joseph Oladunje Oyedele (Fasikun II), the Olunisa of Inisa; Oba Isaac Oyewale, the Alasi of Asi; Oba John Omoloso Mokanjuola Oyelusi III, the Elekusa of Ekusa; and other notable royal fathers in Odo-Otin Local Government of the State.
The campaign stop is regarded as strategically significant given Odo-Otin’s political importance in the forthcoming election. In recent months, the local government has witnessed notable political realignments, most prominently the defection of more than 500 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Accord Party during a political gathering in Inisa, where Speaker Adewale Egbedun welcomed them to the party. In the same vein, a former lawmaker from the APC also defected to the Accord Party, alongside Hon. Seyi Oke and other notable individuals in Odo-Otin. The mass defection strengthened the Accord Party’s grassroots structure and reinforced the party’s confidence heading into the governorship poll.
Wednesday’s rally also came amid heightened attention to election security across Osun State. Governor Adeleke has repeatedly appealed for peaceful campaigns and credible elections, recently calling for firm action against political violence and urging security agencies to remain impartial in safeguarding the electoral process. He has also advocated sanctions against individuals found to be sponsoring election-related violence, insisting that the will of the electorate must prevail.
Supporters at the rally described the governor’s visit as an “opportunity to reaffirm their support for his administration, with many expressing confidence that the PDP would secure another victory in the August 15 election.”
As campaigns gather momentum across the state, Odo-Otin has emerged as one of the key battlegrounds where both the ruling Accord Party and opposition parties are intensifying efforts to consolidate support. The massive turnout witnessed during Wednesday’s campaign further highlighted the significance of the local government in determining the outcome of the governorship contest and reflected the heightened political atmosphere now gripping Osun State.
