Nigeria: Tinubu Congratulates Adeleke, Says Osun Election Reinforces Nigeria's Democracy

What the report says

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke after his re-election, saying the result of the 15 August governorship vote showed renewed confidence in democratic rule in Nigeria. The remarks were issued in a statement from Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and were reported by Premium Times and distributed by AllAfrica.

According to the report, Tinubu said he had personally called Adeleke after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared him the winner. He urged the governor to use his new term to bring together residents across party lines and focus on stability, growth and wider social and economic progress. Tinubu also praised the other candidates for participating peacefully, saying their involvement strengthened the country’s democratic culture.

The article says Adeleke was declared the winner early on Sunday by the state returning officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole. It reports that Adeleke won with 511,067 votes, ahead of Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, who polled 444,815, while Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress finished third. Adeleke won 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas.

The result gives Adeleke another four years in office. The report also notes a political backdrop in which Adeleke had previously endorsed Tinubu for a second term in the 2027 presidential race, after the president’s congratulatory call and his support for what Adeleke described as a free and fair election.