Governor Ademola Adeleke has called for reconciliation in Osun State after securing a second term, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) has signalled that it may challenge the governorship election result through the courts.
Adeleke won the August 15 election with 511,067 votes, defeating APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salaam finished third with 17,180 votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke winner on Sunday after he carried 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas. Oyebamiji secured the remaining 11.
In his victory remarks, Adeleke sought to lower the political temperature after a tense campaign marked by reported attacks and clashes.
He said, “In this race, there is no victor, no vanquished. I extend an olive branch to my co-contestants. I am the Governor of all Osun people.
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The governor called on residents, community leaders, and traditional institutions to prevent reprisals and help restore peace. He also observed a minute’s silence for victims of pre-election violence.
Adeleke said his second administration would consolidate its achievements while addressing its shortcomings. He pledged further development under his renewed five-point agenda and restated his ambition to move Osun from a civil service state towards an industrial and investment-driven economy.
President Bola Tinubu also congratulated Adeleke and said the result reflected the confidence voters had placed in the governor. He asked the re-elected governor to unite residents regardless of their political choices and work towards stability and economic progress.
The APC, however, has not closed the door on litigation.
The party said it was reviewing results from the 332 wards across Osun before deciding whether to pursue the legal avenues provided under the Electoral Act 2026.
Osun APC spokesperson Kola Olabisi said the electoral process could extend from the polling stage to the tribunal, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.
Olabisi said, “We shall not hesitate without further delay to explore the window allowed by the extant Electoral Act after the due consultation with the team of our lawyers based on their professional advice.”
The party also appealed for calm among its supporters and asked them not to respond to provocative actions.
The ADC, which finished third, introduced another point of contention. Its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, asked INEC to explain an alleged interruption in the uploading of polling-unit results to the IReV portal.
Abdullahi said the party’s intelligence indicated that uploads stopped for nearly four hours on election night, beginning at about 8pm, when Oyebamiji was trailing.
“INEC must tell Nigerians precisely what happened,” he said.
The ADC did not provide evidence that INEC deliberately halted the uploads. Its demand, however, places additional attention on the commission’s handling of electronic result transmission.
Despite the competing reactions, Salaam congratulated Adeleke and said the electorate’s decision should be respected.
“Politics is not a do-or-die affair. The people have spoken; democracy has prevailed,” he said.
The immediate test for Osun is therefore twofold: whether the governor can turn his appeal for reconciliation into a peaceful post-election atmosphere, and whether the APC will convert its reservations about the result into a formal legal challenge.
