The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday formally presented the Certificate of Return to Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, confirming his re-election to a second four-year term following his victory in the state’s August 15 governorship election.
The certificate was presented to Adeleke and his deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi, at a brief ceremony at the INEC headquarters in Osogbo, the state capital. Accounts differ slightly on the exact INEC official who handled the presentation and the precise time, but most reports identify Professor Kunle Ajayi, the INEC National Commissioner supervising Osun, Ogun and Ondo states, as presenting the certificates to the governor and his deputy.
Adeleke arrived at the INEC office accompanied by members of his cabinet, National and State Assembly lawmakers, and supporters, for a ceremony that formally closed out the state’s electoral process and confirmed his mandate for a new term.
Adeleke, who ran on the platform of the Accord Party, defeated his closest challenger, the All Progressives Congress candidate Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, by a margin of 66,252 votes. The governor polled 511,067 votes across 19 Local Government Areas, while Oyebamiji secured 444,815 votes in 11 Local Government Areas. The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished a distant third with 17,180 votes.
In his acceptance remarks, delivered in an address titled “A Time to Heal, Unite and Build,” Adeleke struck a solemn note over the violence, injuries and property destruction recorded during the electoral process, calling for sober reflection even as he celebrated his victory.
He announced that his administration would establish a N500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund to support the families of verified victims, to be overseen by a Verification and Relief Committee headed by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly. He specifically paid tribute to individuals named Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass and Kolade Eluyera, who were reported killed during the election period, saying: “It is deeply painful that any family should have to bury a loved one because of politics. No election, political office, or ambition is worth the life of a single citizen.”
The governor further disclosed that the Adeleke family, through the Springtime Development Foundation, would fund full scholarships up to university level for the children and dependants of those who lost their lives during the election.
Adeleke used the occasion to extend an olive branch to his political rivals, urging them to set aside their differences and work with his administration. “I want to seize this opportunity to call all my fellow contestants to come over, let us join hands, and let’s move Osun State forward. This state is bigger than anybody,” he said, adding that he had forgiven all those who had offended him during the contest.
He thanked INEC and security agencies, including the police, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, for their roles in the conduct of the election, while noting that he wished the police could have done more. He also commended President Bola Tinubu for allowing democracy to thrive in the state and wished him success ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wednesday’s ceremony comes just one day after Adeleke’s convoy was involved in a gun battle outside the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, an incident police later said centred on his nephew, Afrobeats star Davido, rather than the governor himself. The certificate presentation marks the formal conclusion of a tense and, at times, violent electoral cycle in Osun State, positioning Adeleke to begin his second term as attention now shifts to the transition and consolidation of his administration.
