Former Vice President Atiku Abubabar and ex-Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi have both congratulated Ademola Adeleke on his re-election as Osun State governor, with both leaders framing the result as a clear expression of the electorate’ will.
Atiku, reacting on X, said the outcome reflected the choice of Osun voters at the ballot box and praised residents for their enthusiasm and orderly conduct during the exercise.
He wished Adeleke success as he began his new term.
Obi’s message was more expansive, describing the results as proof that democracy prevails when citizens assert themselves.
He credited Adeleke’s re-election to his responsiveness to residents’ needs, and his record in office, and singled out young people in the state for peacefully safeguarding the integrity of the vote.
Obi said that the outcome carries lessons for the country ahead of the 2027 general election, urging Nigerians to stay engaged, vote, and defend their ballots.
He also called on politicians to prioritise the public interest over partisanship and to treat elections as contests of ideas rather than violence, expressing hope that the Osun example would strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process nationwide.
The congratulatory messages followed INEC’s declaration of Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, as winner of Saturday’s governorship election.
INEC Returning Officer, Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, announced the results on Sunday morning after collation concluded across the state’s 30 local government areas, with Adeleke polling 511067 votes against the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 and ADC’s Najeem Salaan, who trailed in third with 17,180 votes, a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
A total of 2,339,544 votes were registered for the election, of whom 1,010.684 were accredited to vote. Of the votes cast, 985,079 were valid, while 20,721 were rejected, bringing total votes cast to 1,005,800.
