...Looking ahead to his second term, Adeleke promised to broaden the state’s economic transformation, moving beyond what he described as its predominantly civil-service character.
SUN AUG 16 2026-theGBJournal| Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke has pledged to turn the state into an industrial hub after securing a second term, extending an olive branch to his defeated opponents and thanking President Bola Tinubu for calling to congratulate him after the election victory.
Adeleke spoke after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him the winner of Saturday’s governorship election, describing his victory as a vindication of Osun voters and a “victory for democracy”.
“Mr. President has called me and he has congratulated me,” Adeleke said, thanking Tinubu for what he described as efforts to ensure that democracy prevailed.
“This is a victory for democracy, a victory for Osun people that have stood by me. This is a way to say, you have done a lot for us. You have given us dividend of democracy in terms of infrastructure, education, agriculture.”
Looking ahead to his second term, Adeleke promised to broaden the state’s economic transformation, moving beyond what he described as its predominantly civil-service character.
“In terms of the next four years, I will repay that, I will make sure that Osun State moves from a civil state to industrial state, and across the State development will be on,” he said.
The governor also struck a conciliatory tone after a closely contested election, calling on his opponents to accept the result and work with his administration.
“I will extend an olive branch to my fellow contestants. There is no victor no vanquished. I want my opponents to come over. I am expecting Bola Oyebamiji (APC candidate who is his opponent in the election) to come over and congratulate me.”
Adeleke singled out Tinubu for acknowledgement, despite the president’s membership of the All Progressives Congress, whose candidate mounted the strongest challenge to his re-election.
“I also want to use this opportunity to thank Mr. President (President Bola Tinubu). Mr. President has called me and he has congratulated me I thank you Mr President for making sure democracy lives on.”
Adeleke wins closely fought contest
INEC Returning Officer, Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwale, formally declared Adeleke the winner after announcing the results recorded by the candidates.
“I hereby certify that I am the returning officer for the 2026 Osun State Governorship election held on the 15th of August 2026.”
After announcing the scores of the various candidates, Ogunwale declared the Accord Party candidate the winner.
“Having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and he is returned elected.”
Adeleke secured 511,067 votes, defeating his closest challenger, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. ADC candidate Najeem Salaan finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.
The result gives Adeleke a second term at a time when the Osun contest was being closely watched as an important test of Nigeria’s electoral institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The election was relatively peaceful, with residents in parts of the state remaining at collation centres and other locations as results were announced, determined to ensure that their votes were protected.
The conduct of the poll also drew comparatively fewer criticisms of INEC than some previous Nigerian elections, when the electoral commission faced intense accusations over the credibility and transparency of the process.
Political signal ahead of 2027
Beyond Osun, Adeleke’s victory is likely to be read through the prism of the 2027 presidential contest, with opposition figures and political observers viewing the result as evidence that voters can still punish an incumbent political establishment at the ballot box.
For some voters and opposition politicians, the result represents a rejection of the ruling APC amid persistent economic hardship and the political costs of President Tinubu’s reform programme.
Others see it as a broader signal against electoral manipulation and a possible indicator of the challenges facing the APC as it seeks to retain power nationally in 2027.
The interpretation is politically significant but remains difficult to extrapolate directly from one state election.
Osun is a distinct political market, and Adeleke’s incumbency, local political network and the strength of the opposition vote all shaped the contest.
The election nevertheless gives opposition parties a fresh reference point as they prepare for a presidential contest in which economic conditions, electoral credibility and voter dissatisfaction are expected to be central issues.
Afrobeats star Davido mobilises voters
The election also attracted unusual attention from Nigeria’s entertainment industry. Afrobeats star Davido played a prominent role in mobilising voters and took the issue beyond Nigeria, using X, formerly Twitter, to draw the attention of US President Donald Trump to developments surrounding the Osun election.
That intervention underscored the extent to which the poll had moved beyond a routine state election, attracting attention from influential figures in politics, entertainment and the Nigerian diaspora.
Atiku congratulates Adeleke
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, also welcomed Adeleke’s victory, framing it as an expression of the electorate’s choice.
“I congratulate Governor Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election as Governor of Osun State.
“His victory demonstrates the choice of the people of Osun as expressed at the ballot box. I commend the people for their passion and peaceful participation. I wish Governor Adeleke continued success as he continues to serve them.”
For Adeleke, the immediate task is now to convert the electoral mandate into the economic and infrastructure gains he promised voters, while managing a political landscape in which his victory has acquired significance well beyond Osun State.
His pledge to transform Osun “from a civil state to industrial state” therefore sets a substantial benchmark for his second term — one that will be measured not only against his campaign promises but also against the wider political expectations generated by Saturday’s result.
By Charles IKE-OKOH
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