President Bola Tinubu has cautioned Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke against treating his political opponents with contempt following his victory in the state's recently concluded governorship election. Tinubu gave the advice on Thursday when Adeleke visited him at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The president made clear that winning an election is not grounds for humiliating those who lost.
Tinubu Warns Against Stigmatising Opponents
"Don't stigmatise any of your opponents," Tinubu said. "And the people of Osun State pronounced their judgment on you that they love you; they want you to govern. So you're going back to govern." The president drew a firm distinction between electoral victory and personal conquest, telling the governor that his mandate came from the will of Osun residents, not from defeating enemies. He added that anyone who refuses to embrace a free and fair election does not deserve the joy that democracy brings.
Governance Over Celebration
Tinubu also directed Adeleke's attention to how he should channel the goodwill of the electorate. Rather than prolonging public celebrations, the president said the true expression of gratitude to Osun people would come through governance and delivery. "Not the way you sang it or celebrate it," Tinubu told the governor, "but the way you act it."
A Unique Position to Make History
The president described Adeleke as being in "a very unique position to make history" and noted that the governor had shown a progressive instinct throughout his campaign. Tinubu said that promise now needs to translate into concrete action during the new term. The visit to Abuja came as Adeleke prepared to return to Osun following confirmation of his re-election. The president's remarks pointed to expectations that the governor's second term will be defined by performance rather than political triumphalism.
