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.
