Col Leo Segun Ajiborisha was the first Military Administrator of the State and he governed from August 1991-January 1992 when he handed over to an elected governor, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke who ruled from 1992 to November 1993. The civilian rule in the state was terminated when Col Anthony Udofia,( Dec,1993-Aug 1996), Col Anthony Obi (Aug 1996-Aug 1998) and Col Theophilus Bamgboye (Aug 1998- May 1999) served as Military Administrators respectively.
Chief Bisi Akande
Chief Bisi Akande was elected as the Governor and he served the state from 29th May 1999- 29th May 2003. Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola took over from Chief Akande and governed from 29th May 2003- 29th May 2007 for the first term. Prince Oyinlola had spent three and a half years out of his second term
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola
until he was removed in a landmark judgement on 26th November 2010, by the Court of Appeal, sitting in Ibadan which nullified his election and Engr. Rauf Aregbesola was declared the validly elected Governor in the 14th April, 2007 Gubernatorial Election.
Gboyega Oyetola
In July 2018, Gboyega Oyetola contested with Osun state House of Representatives deputy speaker Yusuf Lasun and Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly Nojeem Salaam, Dr Samuel Ibiyemi; Publisher Nigerian NewsDirect Newspapers, Adelere Oriolowo, Moshood Adeoti amongst others for the All Progressives Congress gubernatorial candidacy of the September 22, 2018 gubernatorial election in Osun state and won. He was sworn in to office on November 27, 2018.
On 22nd of March, 2019, the Election tribunal sitting in Abuja declared that the All progressive Congress and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, were not validly returned. The Osun tribunal ruled in Mr Adeleke’s favour and declared him the winner of the election. In a split judgment of two to one, the tribunal ruled that INEC was wrong to have ordered a rerun election. It nullified the rerun.
In July 5, 2019 the Supreme Court validated the election of Gboyega Oyetola as the governor of Osun State.
Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke
On November 27, 2022, Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke was sworn in as the state’s sixth governor. Adeleke ran against former governor Gboyega Oyetola in the gubernatorial election on July 16, 2022. Adeleke defeated Gboyega Oyetola by a vote of 402,979 to 375,077. Adeleke won in 17 LGAs, including Olorunda, Ede South, Orolu, Osogbo, Odo Otin, Ifelodun, Boluwaduro, Atakumosa, and Ila. Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke is the state’s current governor.
The people of Osun are politically sophisticated and their dynamism is seen in the ability to elect people who can serve their interest. Different political parties have ruled the state but the progressive nature is always reflected in their choice of leaders.
