Osun poll victory: Adeleke extends olive branch, APC mulls tribunal challenge

Governor Ademola Adeleke has appealed for peace and unity in Osun State after his re-election, even as the All Progressives Congress weighs its legal options after losing Saturday’s governorship election.

Adeleke was declared winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission after polling 511,067 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. The governor won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.

INEC declared Adeleke the winner after he secured victory in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won in the remaining 11 council areas.

The declaration, made by the State Returning Officer, Prof Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, came on Sunday, confirming Adeleke’s return for a second term in office.

President Bola Tinubu congratulated Adeleke on his victory, describing the outcome as a reflection of the confidence the people of Osun State have in the governor.

Tinubu, who said he personally called the goivernor to congratulate him, urged him to use his second term to unite the people of the state and work with residents regardless of their political affiliations.

In a statement signed Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President said he personally called Adeleke to congratulate him following the declaration of results.

“I called Governor Ademola Adeleke earlier on Sunday to congratulate him on his election victory in Osun State.

“His victory once again confirmed the confidence the people of Osun State have in him,” the President said.

Tinubu wished the governor success as he begins a fresh four-year term and charged him to govern inclusively, regardless of how residents voted.

He said, “I wish him great success as he prepares to lead the state for the next four years.”

“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,” he advised.

The President also commended the other candidates, including Oyebamiji and the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, for what he described as their courage and discipline throughout the electoral process.

He said, “I salute the courage and discipline displayed by other contestants in the election.

“Their participation deepened and enriched our country’s democratic culture.

“The outcome of the election reflects the will of the people and is a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in our land.”

Tinubu commended INEC and security agencies for conducting what he described as a peaceful and transparent election that produced a clear winner, a day after he had personally called on both institutions to guarantee maximum protection for voters and electoral officials ahead of the poll.

Adeleke’s olive branch

Adeleke, in his victory remarks, also extended an olive branch to his opponents, calling for peace and unity in the state following weeks of pre-election violence and political tension.

He pledged to build on his achievements and correct his shortcomings, promising that Osun would witness accelerated development and improved governance under his renewed five-point agenda.

The governor also urged community leaders and traditional institutions to promote peace and prevent post-election attacks, while appealing to residents to forgive one another and restore communal harmony.

Addressing journalists after he was returned elected at the Saturday governorship election, Adeleke dedicated his victory to God and the people of Osun State, commending the resilience, the strong will and unwavering commitment to democracy of the people, promising not disappoint them.

“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. My vision remains taking Osun from a civil service state to an industrial state and an investment destination,” he said.

“To all lovers of democracy, I thank you for supporting our struggle. From home and abroad, the support is overwhelming. My faith in democracy is deepened.

“Most importantly, I thank the media for standing by us. The constant coverage in support of democracy emboldened us. We are grateful. Osun state is on the march again. We shall expand development, and widen the net of good governance.

The governor warned against post-election attacks on rivals, and demanded avoidance of counter-attacks due to past feud, urging forgiveness and restoration of communal love after weeks of gun attacks across the state.

While observing a minute silence for victims of pre-election violence, Adeleke tasked community leaders and traditional institutions to embark on peace-building in their communities as “the issues are settled by the grace of God and the people.”

“As you have trusted me with second term in office, I will reinforce my strong points and correct my errors. Osun will witness further accelerated development and growth under my renewed five-point agenda,” the governor said.

Adeleke commended Tinubu for his support for a credible and peaceful election, describing the President as a son of Osun and reiterating his endorsement of his bid for re-election in 2027.

He added “Mr President is a son of Osun State, and I hereby reaffirm my earlier endorsement of him for a second term in the 2027 presidential election.”

APC studying results

While Adeleke and his supporters celebrated the victory, the APC said it was studying the results from the 332 wards across the state before deciding on its next line of action, including whether to pursue the legal options available under the Electoral Act.

The Osun APC chapter said it was examining the outcome of the poll before taking a decision.

In a statement signed by the party’s spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, the Osun APC stated, “We are not unaware of the fact that election is a process which begins at the registration of the voters through the primary election to the election proper which extends to the tribunal, the Appeal Court and terminates at the Supreme Court.

“An election cannot be said to have been concluded without having explored all these constitutionally allowed legal opportunity to enrich the nation’s jurisprudence as enshrined in the Electoral Act 2026 as amended.”

The APC commended the steadfastness, sagacity and loyalty of its members and supporters for their contributions to the growth and political journey of the Osun ruling party.

“We make bold to state categorically that as a progressive party which is founded on the unalloyed principle of the rule of law, fairness and justice, we shall not hesitate without further delay to explore the window allowed by the extant Electoral Act after the due consultation with the team of our lawyers based on their professional advice. The new development is a beauty of democracy.

“As a result of the foregoing, we are imploring our ever loyal members and supporters to remain calm while they carry on with their businesses and refuse to respond to any provocative action or inaction from any of the members of the ruling party across the state,” the statement read.

It assured its members and supporters to remain steadfast about the current situation, saying the party will continue to pursue it cause within the ambit of the law.

“While we are appealing to the Nigeria Police Force to come to the aid and rescue of our members and supporters who are being needlessly molested by the opposition, we are assuring them that we won’t have any cause or reason to abandon them.

“The current situation in the political history of the state is a passing phase which will soon become part of history,” it further read.

ADC reacts

The African Democratic Congress congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election in the Osun State governorship election, describing the outcome as a victory for democracy and opposition forces that worked together during the poll.

However, the party demanded an explanation from INEC over what it described as a nearly four-hour interruption in the uploading of polling-unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal during Saturday’s election.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the delay raised questions despite Adeleke’s eventual victory.

The party claimed its intelligence showed that result uploads stopped at about 8pm when the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, was trailing.

“The ADC hereby demands a comprehensive explanation from the Independent National Electoral Commission regarding the observed interruption in the uploading of election results to the IReV portal for nearly four hours on election night. INEC must tell Nigerians precisely what happened,” Abdullahi said.

Although the ADC provided no evidence that INEC deliberately halted the uploads, it said the circumstances warranted clarification from the commission.

INEC eventually completed the collation and declared Adeleke the winner with 511,067 votes, ahead of Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815. ADC candidate Najeem Salaam came third with 17,180 votes. Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.

The ADC said the result showed that voters could resist political pressure and the deployment of government resources when determined to exercise their franchise.

The party also criticised what it described as massive APC mobilisation during the campaign, alleging that senior political figures and government officials were deployed to Osun in support of Oyebamiji.

It said the outcome demonstrated the potential of opposition parties working together ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that political control does not automatically translate into control of voters.

The ADC urged INEC to explain the IReV interruption to prevent doubts about the integrity of the electoral process, while warning opposition parties not to become complacent ahead of 2027.

“We must not allow the euphoria of this victory to blind us to the dangers that lie ahead,” the party said.

Salaam congratulates Adeleke

The ADC candidate in the election, Najeem Salaam, also congratulated Governor Adeleke on his re-election, saying the outcome showed that democracy had prevailed.

Salaam came third with 17,180 votes.

In a congratulatory message, Salaam said the choice of the electorate should be respected regardless of political differences, stressing that politics should not threaten peace and unity in the state.

He urged Adeleke to use his second term to address areas where his administration had fallen short, consolidate its achievements and work for the benefit of all residents.

Salaam said governance was a continuous process that required reflection and improvement, urging the governor to build a state where residents could live with dignity, security and hope.

“Politics is not a do-or-die affair. The people have spoken; democracy has prevailed,” he said, wishing Adeleke a successful second term marked by greater development, peace and prosperity.