Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has appealed for peace and unity in the state following his re-election, as the All Progressives Congress considers its legal options after losing Saturday’s governorship election.
Adeleke was declared winner of the election 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 in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in the remaining 11.
The result was declared on Sunday by the State Returning Officer, Professor Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, confirming Adeleke’s return for a second term.
Following the declaration, President Bola Tinubu congratulated Adeleke on his victory, describing the result as a reflection of the confidence the people of Osun State have in the governor.
Tinubu said he personally called Adeleke on Sunday to congratulate him and urged him to use his second term to unite the people of the state and work with residents irrespective of their political affiliations.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President said, “I called Governor Ademola Adeleke earlier today (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.”
Tinubu wished Adeleke success as he begins another four-year term and urged him to govern inclusively.
He said, “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.”
The President also commended other contestants, 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 their participation had contributed to Nigeria’s democratic culture, adding that their conduct had “deepened and enriched our country’s democratic culture.”
Meanwhile, the APC is weighing its legal options following the outcome of the election, setting the stage for a possible challenge to the result.