By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, have congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election in the Osun State governorship election.
Adeleke of the Accord Party was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
President Tinubu, in a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said he had personally called Adeleke to congratulate him on his victory.
Tinubu described the outcome as a confirmation of the confidence reposed in Adeleke by the people of Osun State and said the election demonstrated that democracy would continue to flourish in Nigeria.
“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,” the President said.
He wished Adeleke success as he prepares to lead the state for another four years, urging him to use the renewed mandate to unite the people of Osun State irrespective of their political affiliations.
“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,” Tinubu said.
The President also commended the other contestants for what he described as courage and discipline, saying their participation contributed to the deepening of Nigeria’s democratic culture.
He said the outcome reflected the will of the electorate and represented “a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in our land.”
Tinubu equally commended INEC and the security agencies for conducting what he described as a peaceful and transparent election that produced a clear winner.
Similarly, Obi congratulated Adeleke, describing his re-election as a reflection of the will of the people of Osun State and an affirmation of the power of citizens to determine who governs them through the ballot.
In his reaction, Obi commended the people of the state, particularly the youths, for their courage, vigilance and peaceful participation throughout the electoral process.
He attributed Adeleke’s renewed mandate to what he described as the governor’s commitment to the people, compassion for their needs and achievements recorded during his first term in office.
According to Obi, the Osun election offered an important lesson ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging Nigerians to remain informed, participate actively in the electoral process and protect their votes.
“The lesson from Osun is clear: democracy is strongest when citizens are alert, conscious of their civic responsibility, and determined to ensure that their votes count. Every genuine vote must be respected, and every lawful mandate must be protected,” he said.
The former presidential candidate also appealed to political actors to place the interests of Nigerians above partisan considerations and embrace peace, unity and the rule of law.
He argued that elections should not be treated as battles to be won through violence, but as contests based on ideas, competence, character and service.
Obi urged Nigerians to use their votes to demand better governance, noting that citizens remained directly affected by challenges including hunger, insecurity, deprivation and economic hardship.
He expressed hope that the Osun experience would strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process and encourage citizens to remain committed to building a just, secure, prosperous and people-centred country.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is the presidential candidade of ADC in the 2027 election, also congratulated Adeleke on his re-election.
Atiku described the governor’s victory as an expression of the choice freely made by the people of Osun State at the ballot box.
He commended the electorate for their passion and peaceful participation in the election and wished Adeleke continued success in his service to the people of the state.
Adeleke’s victory came after a closely contested election in which the incumbent secured victories across 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won in the remaining 11 councils.
The election attracted significant attention as one of the major electoral tests ahead of the 2027 general elections, with civil society observers, including Yiaga Africa and the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub, assessing the conduct of the exercise.
While observers reported challenges including isolated cases of vote-buying, electoral irregularities, BVAS malfunctions and security incidents, they generally described the election as peaceful and orderly.
Yiaga Africa, in its final assessment, said INEC and security agencies had largely passed the test of preparedness for the 2027 general elections, while stressing the need to address identified shortcomings, particularly technological failures, vote-buying and the prolonged interruption in the uploading of results on the IReV platform.
