Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has said President Bola Tinubu called to congratulate him after his victory in Saturday's governorship election. He also expressed hope that his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), would do the same.
A Victory for Democracy, Says Adeleke
Speaking after the announcement of the results, Mr Adeleke described his re-election as a victory for democracy and the people of Osun State. He thanked the president for supporting the democratic process.
“I want to seize this opportunity to thank Mr President. Mr President has called me and congratulated me. Thank you, Mr President, for making sure democracy lives on because you fought for it,” he said.
Election Results and Vote Tallies
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mr Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, the winner after he polled 511,067 votes across the state. His closest challenger, Mr Oyebamiji of the APC, scored 444,815 votes, while the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
Mr Adeleke attributed his victory to the people’s appreciation of his administration’s performance, particularly in infrastructure, healthcare and security.
No Victor, No Vanquished
“I thank God Almighty for this victory. It’s a victory for democracy. Victory for Osun election,” the governor said. He added that the result represented the people’s endorsement of the projects and programmes implemented by his administration across the state.
“The victory is a way Osun people are repaying me for the infrastructural developments, health, security and other things I have delivered for my people,” he added.
Mr Adeleke stressed that the election should not be viewed simply as a contest that produced winners and losers, noting that there was “no victor, no vanquished.” He expressed hope that Mr Oyebamiji would accept the result and personally congratulate him.
“It’s no victor, no vanquished. I am expecting the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, to call me and congratulate me,” Mr Adeleke said.
Another Four-Year Term
The governor’s victory grants him another four-year term after he first won the governorship in 2022 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. The election outcome has been widely seen as a referendum on his administration's performance, with the governor pledging to continue his developmental agenda.
