President Bola Tinubu has urged re-elected Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to use his victory in the August 15, 2026 governorship election to promote reconciliation rather than antagonise his political opponents. Tinubu made the appeal on Thursday, August 20, when Adeleke visited him at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the governor the winner.
The President told Adeleke that an election victory should not be treated as a conquest and advised him against turning individual political opponents into targets. Tinubu said the governor now had a responsibility to govern the entire state and strengthen unity, peace, stability and respect for democratic institutions.
The meeting came after a closely contested election in which Adeleke, running on the Accord Party platform, defeated All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Oyebamiji.
INEC’s announced results showed Adeleke secured 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji polled 444,815 votes. African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salaam finished third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji carried 11. The result gave the incumbent a margin of 66,252 votes and secured him another term in office.
Key figures from the election include:
- Ademola Adeleke: 511,067 votes
- Bola Oyebamiji: 444,815 votes
- Najeem Salaam: 17,180 votes
- Adeleke’s winning margin: 66,252 votes
- LGAs won by Adeleke: 19
- LGAs won by Oyebamiji: 11
The scale of the victory gives Adeleke a strong political mandate, but Tinubu’s message focused on what the governor does with that mandate after the campaign has ended.
Tinubu said Adeleke should avoid stigmatising or humiliating those who contested against him and instead build bridges across political divisions.
The President also framed the election as an opportunity to demonstrate the value of democratic competition. His message was that political contests should end with the declaration of results, allowing the winner to govern without treating defeated candidates and their supporters as enemies.
Tinubu further encouraged Adeleke to promote the rule of law and political stability while broadening his support base beyond those who backed him at the polls.
The President also praised Adeleke’s campaign mobilisation, describing his approach during the election period as evidence of what he called a progressive instinct.
The meeting places attention on the transition from campaigning to governance in Osun State. Adeleke must now translate his electoral mandate into policies that serve voters across political affiliations.
His immediate political challenge will be to reduce the divisions created during a competitive election and establish working relationships with opponents, lawmakers, community leaders and other stakeholders.
Tinubu’s intervention also underscores the broader democratic expectation that electoral victories should lead to inclusive governance rather than political retaliation.
Adeleke’s re-election gives him another four-year mandate, following his first victory in 2022. The governor had earlier indicated that he would visit the Presidential Villa with his Certificate of Return after securing his second-term victory. INEC formally presented the certificate to him on Wednesday, August 19.
With the election concluded, attention will increasingly shift from campaign politics to governance, including the delivery of public services, economic development and political reconciliation.
For Adeleke, Tinubu’s message is clear: the electoral contest has ended, and the larger test now lies in how effectively he governs Osun for both his supporters and those who voted against him.
