Ogun, the Gateway State between Lagos and the Yoruba hinterland, is home to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and to some of Nigeria’s biggest industrial clusters. Its governorship has changed party three times since 1999, often because of feuds inside the ruling camp rather than swings in the national tide, and its 2023 election was one of the closest in the South-West.
1999 and 2003: Osoba loses to Daniel
Olusegun Osoba, a veteran journalist who had been governor in the Third Republic, won the January 1999 election for the Alliance for Democracy with 247,154 votes. In April 2003 he was one of five AD governors swept out by the PDP in the South-West. Engineer Gbenga Daniel, a businessman, beat him by 449,335 votes to 231,982.
2007: Daniel’s second term
Daniel was re-elected in April 2007 with 426,132 votes against 135,149 for the ANPP’s Ibikunle Amosun, an accountant and senator. His second term was marked by bitter fights inside the Ogun PDP, including with allies of Obasanjo.
2011 and 2015: Amosun
Amosun moved to the Action Congress of Nigeria and won in April 2011 with 377,487 votes, against 188,698 for the PDP’s retired general Tunji Olurin and 137,051 for Gboyega Isiaka of the People’s Party of Nigeria, backed by Daniel after he fell out with his own party. In April 2015, now in the APC, Amosun was re-elected with 306,988 votes (60.4%) against 201,440 for Isiaka, by then the PDP candidate.
2019: the APC splits
Amosun wanted his ally Adekunle Akinlade to succeed him, but the APC national leadership gave its ticket to businessman Dapo Abiodun. Amosun backed Akinlade on the Allied Peoples Movement platform while remaining in the APC himself. On 9 March 2019 Abiodun won with 241,670 votes to Akinlade’s 222,153. Isiaka, now in the ADC, came third with 110,422 and the PDP’s Buruji Kashamu fourth.
2023: under 14,000 votes
Abiodun’s re-election bid on 18 March 2023 was the closest Ogun race since 1999. He polled 276,298 votes (42.8%) against 262,383 (40.7%) for the PDP’s Ladi Adebutu, a former member of the House of Representatives, a margin of 13,915. The ADC’s Biyi Otegbeye came third with 94,754. Adebutu rejected the result, but the tribunal, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court all upheld Abiodun.
The results at a glance
| Year | Winner (party) | Votes | Runner-up (party) | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Olusegun Osoba (AD) | 247,154 | PDP candidate | not published |
| 2003 | Gbenga Daniel (PDP) | 449,335 | Olusegun Osoba (AD) | 231,982 |
| 2007 | Gbenga Daniel (PDP) | 426,132 | Ibikunle Amosun (ANPP) | 135,149 |
| 2011 | Ibikunle Amosun (ACN) | 377,487 | Tunji Olurin (PDP) | 188,698 |
| 2015 | Ibikunle Amosun (APC) | 306,988 | Gboyega Isiaka (PDP) | 201,440 |
| 2019 | Dapo Abiodun (APC) | 241,670 | Adekunle Akinlade (APM) | 222,153 |
| 2023 | Dapo Abiodun (APC) | 276,298 | Ladi Adebutu (PDP) | 262,383 |
2027: Yayi
Abiodun is term-limited. In April 2026 the Ogun APC adopted Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly called Yayi, as its consensus candidate after other aspirants, including Iyabo Obasanjo, stood down, and he was confirmed in the May primary. INEC’s final list for the 6 February 2027 election shows no PDP candidate in Ogun; the ADC is fielding Lawal Jimi Adebisi (name as INEC lists it).
