Governor Ademola Adeleke has been re-elected as governor of Osun State, and he’s already calling for peace and unity across the state.

Adeleke won Saturday’s governorship election with 511,067 votes, defeating his main rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 444,815 votes. The governor won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji took the remaining 11. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came in third with 17,180 votes.

The result was announced on Sunday by the returning officer, who confirmed that Adeleke would serve a second term in office.

President Tinubu Congratulates Adeleke

President Bola Tinubu personally called Adeleke to congratulate him on the win. In a statement, the President said the result shows the confidence the people of Osun have in their governor, and he urged Adeleke to use his second term to unite the state.

“Now that he has won, Governor Adeleke must unite the people of Osun State and rally them for growth, stability, and social and economic progress, regardless of the political choices they made at the election,” Tinubu said.

The President also praised the other candidates for their conduct during the election, and commended the election commission and security agencies for overseeing a peaceful and transparent process.

‘No Victor, No Vanquished’

In his victory speech, Adeleke extended an olive branch to his opponents.

“There is no victor, no vanquished. I extend an olive branch to my co-contestants. I am the Governor of all Osun people,” he said.

The governor promised to build on his achievements, correct his mistakes, and push for accelerated development under a renewed five-point agenda. He also called on community leaders and traditional institutions to promote peace and prevent post-election attacks, and asked residents to forgive one another following weeks of pre-election violence.

Adeleke also reaffirmed his support for President Tinubu, calling him a son of Osun State and backing him for a second term in the 2027 presidential election.

APC Studying the Results

For its part, the APC said it is carefully reviewing the results from all 332 wards across the state before deciding its next move. In a statement, the party said it would explore all legal options available under the Electoral Act, potentially taking the matter to the election tribunal.

The party urged its members and supporters to remain calm and not to respond to any provocations, while also appealing to the police to protect those it said were being targeted by the opposition.

The African Democratic Congress congratulated Adeleke and called the outcome a victory for democracy. But it also demanded an explanation from the election commission over what it described as a nearly four-hour interruption in the uploading of results on election night.

While the party provided no proof that the commission deliberately stopped the uploads, it said the situation deserved clarification. Salaam, the ADC candidate, also congratulated Adeleke, saying “the people have spoken; democracy has prevailed.” He urged the governor to use his second term to improve on his record and work for the benefit of all residents.