Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has appealed for peace and unity after securing re-election in Saturday’s governorship election, while the All Progressives Congress is considering whether to challenge the result at the tribunal.   The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Adeleke the winner after he polled 511,067 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam came third with 17,180 votes. Adeleke won 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured 11. The governor, speaking after his declaration, extended an olive branch to his opponents and called for an end to political violence following weeks of tension and attacks across the state. “In this race, there is no victor, no vanquished. I extend an olive branch to my co-contestants. I am the Governor of all Osun people,” Adeleke said. He pledged to build on his achievements, address shortcomings and accelerate development under his renewed five-point agenda. Adeleke also urged community leaders and traditional institutions to promote peace and prevent post-election violence. He called on residents to forgive one another and restore communal harmony. The governor further reaffirmed his support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027, describing the President as a son of Osun State. Tinubu congratulates Adeleke President Bola Tinubu congratulated Adeleke on his victory, saying the result reflected the confidence Osun voters had in the governor. Tinubu said he personally called Adeleke to congratulate him and urged him to use his second term to unite residents regardless of their political affiliations. He also commended the other contestants and praised the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies for conducting what he described as a peaceful and transparent election. APC weighs legal challenge The Osun APC said it was studying the results from the state’s 332 wards before deciding its next step. The party said it would consult its legal team and consider the options available under the Electoral Act, including proceedings before the election tribunal and subsequent courts. The APC urged its members and supporters to remain calm and avoid provocative actions while the party assesses the situation. ADC seeks explanation from INEC The ADC congratulated Adeleke but called on INEC to explain what it described as an almost four-hour interruption in the uploading of polling-unit results to the IReV portal during election night. The party said result uploads stopped at about 8pm when its assessment showed Oyebamiji was trailing. However, the ADC did not provide evidence that INEC deliberately halted the uploads. The party said clarification from the electoral commission was necessary to address concerns about the integrity of the process. ADC candidate Salaam separately congratulated Adeleke, saying the electorate had spoken and that the outcome should be respected. He urged the governor to use his second term to improve governance, consolidate existing achievements and address areas where his administration had fallen short.

Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield on Sunday, giving Mikel Arteta an early-season triumph while condemning new City boss Enzo Maresca to defeat in his first game in charge in the traditional curtain-raiser to the campaign.   With their fourth victory over City in the fixture, Arsenal maintained their 100% win record over their opponents with an emphatic performance at the Principality Stadium, where Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard found the net. “We showed our level today, we showed that we’re ready,” Odegaard told TNT Sports. “I think we showed that we’re serious, we want to do it again. There’s more trophies to go for and that’s the aim.” Having failed to convince in pre-season performances that raised a few eyebrows, Arsenal exploded into action with devastating effect right from kick-off, needing just 23 seconds to silence any lingering doubts about their readiness. Myles Lewis-Skelly was deployed in midfield and he threaded an excellent pass to set up left-back Calafiori, who calmly finished past Gianluigi Donnarumma to give Arsenal the perfect start against the FA Cup champions. The early strike — the first goal scored in the opening minute of the fixture in 58 years — set the tone for a dominant display where Arsenal looked fitter, sharper, more confident and full of attacking verve. Arsenal celebrate first premier league title since 2004 with massive parade City did not have a clear opportunity until the 20th minute, when Phil Foden curled a shot from range but David Raya was up to the task, diving to his right to deny the midfielder, and later saved a shot from Erling Haaland. Arsenal doubled their lead when Odegaard floated in a cross to the far post, where new signing Christos Tzolis headed the ball back across goal for Havertz to head home, with Donnarumma accidentally spilling the ball over the line. Arsenal needed just three minutes after the restart to make it 3-0, with Tzolis grabbing his second assist when he set up Odegaard, whose delicate first touch took the ball past Josko Gvardiol before he beat a wrong-footed Donnarumma with ease. Maresca’s side showed only flashes of their attacking threat, but Raya stood firm to preserve a clean sheet while Haaland — last season’s Golden Boot winner with 27 goals — was kept quiet and withdrawn before the hour mark. Arsenal kick off the new Premier League campaign on Friday against Coventry City, and Odegaard said they were going to play on the front foot to defend their crown. “We’re going to attack it. We want to do it again. It was an unbelievable achievement and experience for all of us,” he said. “When you get the taste of how nice it is, you want to do it again. And there’s also a few other ones we want to take,” he added, referring to the Champions League title that slipped through their fingers in the final against Paris Saint-Germain. “At this club, you want to win all of them. But of course, that’s a big one.” The Gunners’ victory over the FA Cup holders gave them their second trophy in four months and their 18th Community Shield title overall. The match was played at the Principality Stadium while Wembley hosts Canadian singer The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours til Dawn’ tour.

Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Davido has celebrated the victory of his uncle, Ademola Adeleke, in the Osun State governorship election.   Davido, a prominent member of the Adeleke family, reacted shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the incumbent governor the winner of Saturday’s election. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the singer wrote: “WE DID IT UNC !!! @aadeleke_01.” Davido also shared a video of himself celebrating the result. In the footage, he appeared visibly emotional as he reacted to his uncle’s victory. The singer had openly backed Adeleke throughout the election, using his social media platforms to express support as voting and the collation of results progressed. INEC declared Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party winner after he polled 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes. The result gives Adeleke another term as governor of Osun State following a closely contested election.

The death toll from a powerful Indonesian earthquake off the eastern island of Flores has risen to at least 47, with rescuers continuing to search for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.   Indonesia’s national disaster management agency, BNPB, raised the toll from 40 on Saturday. Rescue official Fathur Rahman said 50 people were injured after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Flores. BNPB chief Suharyanto said people were believed to be trapped in several buildings, making the structures a priority for emergency response teams. The earthquake damaged nearly 160 houses, along with dozens of educational and health facilities and other public buildings, according to the agency. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said preparations were underway to assist about 2,000 people staying in temporary shelters. The Indonesian government also sent 50,000 aid packages, weighing a combined 275 tonnes, to affected communities. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered support through the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation satellite system. Rescue Efforts Hampered Rescue operations have been complicated by landslides that cut off roads, while parts of Flores were left without electricity and telecommunications. Residents also faced the threat of aftershocks. Dozens were recorded following the main earthquake, with the strongest measuring 6.1. Authorities lifted a tsunami warning but urged residents to stay away from damaged buildings because further tremors could cause unstable structures to collapse. Waves reaching up to 1.6 metres were reported in some coastal areas of Flores, according to Indonesia’s BMKG geological agency. Residents near Nagekeo, close to the earthquake’s epicentre, reportedly moved towards higher ground after the sea retreated, raising fears of a possible tsunami. Residents Describe Panic Yulian Juita Ekalia, a university lecturer living in Ruteng, more than 100 kilometres from the epicentre, described the shaking as the strongest earthquake she had experienced. She told AFP that she was jolted awake at about 5:30am local time and rushed outside after household items began falling. Other residents also described widespread panic as people fled their homes and sought safer locations. Hospitals treated patients in temporary medical tents amid concerns about further tremors. The shallow earthquake was located just off Flores’ northern coast, according to US and Indonesian authorities. Indonesia is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic activity. Flores was previously hit by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in 1992, which triggered a tsunami and killed around 2,500 people. The country was also among the worst affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which killed about 220,000 people across the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.