Dr. Najeem Folasayo Salaam is the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election.
A former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Salaam is returning to the governorship race after years in state politics and public service.
Born on August 8, 1965, in Ejigbo, Osun State, Salaam’s early life was shaped by the loss of both parents.
According to his campaign biography, he lost his father at a young age and his mother when he was 10, after which he was raised by his maternal aunt.
NEWSNGR reports that his campaign presents his childhood experience as part of the background to his later interest in education, community service and politics.
Salaam began his education at Ansar-U-Deen Primary School in Ejigbo before attending Baptist School in Ola and Baptist High School, Ejigbo.
He later proceeded to the then Oyo State College of Arts and Science for his A-Level studies.
He studied Political Science at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1993.
He later earned a master’s degree in Political Science in 2013 and a Ph.D. in Political Science in 2018.
His doctoral area of study included Nigerian federalism, ethnic relations and democratic studies.
His involvement in politics dates back to his university years, when he participated in student activism and became involved in the activities of the Association of Political Science Students.
He also served as president of the Ejigbo Local Government Area Students Association at Obafemi Awolowo University.
After completing his university education, Salaam went into the pharmacy business and later became involved in community health activities. In 1999, he was appointed a supervisory councillor for health in Ejigbo.
He subsequently contested for the chairmanship of his local government in 2002 but was unsuccessful.
His major entry into state politics came in 2007 when he was elected to the Osun State House of Assembly.
His first tenure was later nullified by the Court of Appeal following an electoral dispute.
He returned to the Assembly after winning again in 2011 and was elected Speaker on June 2 of that year.
He remained Speaker through the life of the Assembly and was re-elected in 2015.
As Speaker, Salaam presided over the Osun House of Assembly during the administration of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola. Records from the period show that the Assembly passed dozens of bills and resolutions during his leadership.
Contemporary reports put the number of bills passed by the fifth Assembly at 32, while reports on the Assembly’s activities also recorded numerous resolutions and public hearings.
His period as Speaker also placed him at the centre of debates over governance, workers’ welfare, legislation, state finances and relations between the legislature and executive.
The official Osun State government archive records Salaam participating in major state affairs during the Aregbesola administration, including discussions on local government restructuring and the state’s economic challenges.
Salaam later sought the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the buildup to the 2018 election.
At the time, he was regarded as one of the prominent figures in the party’s field of aspirants and was closely associated with the political structure of the Aregbesola administration.
He did not secure the APC ticket, which eventually went to Gboyega Oyetola.
Beyond politics, Salaam has maintained an academic interest in political science and public affairs.
He co-authored the 2019 textbook Rudiments of Government and Politics with Dr. Solomon Ayegba Usman.
His campaign biography also lists leadership and capacity-building programmes undertaken in countries including the United Kingdom, United States, United Arab Emirates and Brazil.
For the 2026 election, Salaam emerged as the ADC governorship candidate at the party’s primary in Osogbo in December 2025.
He was the sole aspirant at the primary, where 528 delegates were accredited; 520 valid votes were recorded and all 520 went to Salaam.
The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list for the election identifies him as Salaam Najeem Folasayo, aged 60, and lists the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as his political platform. The same listing names Agiri Yemisi Temitope as his running mate.
His choice of ADC places him in a race that includes the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is contesting on the Accord platform, and Bola Oyebamiji of the APC.
Fourteen political parties were listed by INEC as participating in the election.
