President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election, describing the outcome of the governorship election as a reaffirmation of democratic rule in Nigeria.
President Tinubu, in a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the result reflected the confidence the people of Osun State had placed in the governor.
The president said he had personally called Mr Adeleke to congratulate him after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him the winner of the 15 August election.
“I called Governor Ademola Adeleke earlier today 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,” he said.
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He urged the governor to use his second term to unite the people of the state, regardless of how they voted in the election.
“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 added.
He also commended the other contestants for what he described as their courage and discipline throughout the electoral process.
“I salute the courage and discipline displayed by other contestants in the election. Their participation deepened and enriched our country’s democratic culture,” he noted.
According to him, the outcome of the poll represented the will of the people and demonstrated the resilience of Nigeria’s democratic system.
“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,” the president said.
Tinubu commends INEC, security agencies
The president also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies for their roles in conducting the election.
He described the election as peaceful and transparent, saying the process produced a clear winner.
Mr Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, was declared the winner at about 7:24 a.m. on Sunday by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti.
He polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who secured 444,815 votes.
Mr Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Mr Oyebamiji won 11. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third with 17,180 votes.
The victory gives Mr Adeleke another four years in office after he first won the governorship election in 2022 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
READ ALSO: Tinubu called to congratulate me on Osun victory, I expect Oyebamiji to do same — Adeleke
He subsequently left the PDP and contested the 2026 election on the platform of the Accord Party.
Endorsement
President Tinubu’s congratulatory message came against the backdrop of Mr Adeleke’s previous endorsement of the president for a second term in the 2027 presidential election.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that shortly after his declaration as the winner of the election, Mr Adeleke thanked Mr Tinubu for calling to congratulate him on his victory and described the president as a son of Osun State.
Mr Adeleke also reaffirmed his support for Mr Tinubu’s bid for another term in office.
The governor said the president’s support for what he described as a free and fair election in Osun reinforced his decision to endorse him for the 2027 presidential election.