Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has extended an olive branch to his opponents in the August 15 governorship election, urging them to work with his administration for the development of the state.
Adeleke made the appeal in an address to the people of Osun State in Osogbo on Sunday, hours after he was declared the winner of the election.
“Osun State is on the march again. We shall expand development and widen the net of good governance. In this race, there is no victor and no vanquished. I extend my olive branch to my co-contestants,” he said.
The governor said he remained the governor of all residents of the state, adding that his administration would pursue a vision of transforming Osun from a civil service state into an industrial and investment destination.
“I am the governor of all Osun people. My vision is to take Osun from a civil service state to an industrial state and an investment destination,” Adeleke said.
He congratulated the people of Osun and supporters of good governance, while thanking those who backed his re-election bid.
Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party, defeated his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to secure another term in office.
The Returning Officer for the election, Joshua Ogunwole, declared Adeleke the winner at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Collation Centre in Osogbo.
Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji secured 444,815 votes. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) finished third with 17,180 votes.
“Having satisfied the requirement of the law, [Adeleke] is hereby declared the winner and is hereby returned elected,” Ogunwole said while announcing the final result.
Reacting to his victory, Adeleke said the election had strengthened his faith in democracy and thanked supporters who backed his campaign from within and outside Nigeria.
“To all lovers of democracy, I thank you for supporting our struggle. From home and abroad, the support is overwhelming. My faith in democracy is deepened,” he said.
The governor also commended the media for its coverage of the election and what he described as its support for democracy.
Adeleke was first elected governor of Osun State in 2022 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He later left the party in December 2025 as he sought a return ticket to the Bola Ige House in Osogbo.
