Tinubu to Adeleke: Election Victory Is Not Conquest, Build a United Osun

ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged re-elected Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to turn his recent electoral victory into an opportunity for reconciliation, warning against using political power to stigmatise or victimise opponents.

Tinubu gave the advice on Thursday when Adeleke visited the Presidential Villa in Abuja, in what was the first known meeting between the President and the Osun governor at the State House since the August 15 governorship election.

The President’s central message was that an election victory should not be treated as a military conquest.

“You did not conquer anybody. You won the election. That is the essence of democracy,” Tinubu told Adeleke.

The remark came five days after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Adeleke the winner of the closely contested Osun governorship election.

Adeleke secured second term after closely fought election

Adeleke, who contested the election under the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who recorded 444,815 votes.

The result gave Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes. He won 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji carried 11.

The victory secured Adeleke another four years in office after his first term began in 2022, when he won the governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He subsequently moved to the Accord Party ahead of the 2026 election, although the Osun PDP supported his re-election bid.

Adeleke received his Certificate of Return from INEC on Wednesday, formally completing another stage of the electoral process before his meeting with Tinubu at the Villa.

Tinubu warns against political victimisation

Rather than focusing on the size of Adeleke’s victory, Tinubu used the meeting to emphasise what should come after the election.

The President urged the governor not to stigmatise his political opponents or allow the campaign to become a basis for settling political scores.

He said the electorate had made its choice and that Adeleke’s responsibility was now to govern the entire state rather than only those who supported him at the polls.

Tinubu also cautioned against making individuals victims of political campaigns, stressing that the consequences of political conduct can extend beyond a single election cycle.

His message was particularly centred on reconciliation, unity and stability, with the President telling Adeleke that his actions after the election would matter more than the celebrations surrounding his victory.

‘Your mandate came from the people’

Tinubu also framed Adeleke’s victory as a product of the electorate’s decision rather than the political brilliance of any individual.

According to the President, political office ultimately rests on the support of the people and, in his own words, the will of God.

He encouraged Adeleke to regard his new mandate as an opportunity to make a lasting mark on Osun State.

The President said the governor was in a “very, very unique” position to make history by promoting unity, peace and stability.

He further encouraged Adeleke to broaden his political outlook and demonstrate gratitude to the people through governance and concrete actions rather than celebrations alone.

The meeting comes after a tense election season

Tinubu’s appeal for reconciliation comes against the backdrop of a highly competitive Osun election campaign.

In the months leading to the August 15 poll, political tensions in the state included accusations and counter-accusations over violence, alleged attempts to manipulate the electoral process and divisions within the opposition political camp.

Adeleke himself repeatedly called on voters to protect their right to choose their leaders and warned against attempts to interfere with the electoral process.

After the election, however, the governor adopted a more conciliatory tone.

In his post-election address, Adeleke appealed for peace and unity among Osun residents and extended an olive branch to his former opponents. He declared that there was “no victor, no vanquished” and described himself as governor of all Osun people.

That position closely aligns with the message delivered by Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

Why Tinubu’s message matters

The significance of the President’s intervention goes beyond the personal relationship between the two politicians.

Osun’s political landscape has been sharply contested for years, with the 2022 governorship election and the 2026 contest both attracting intense attention.

Adeleke’s decision to endorse Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, despite previously belonging to the PDP and later contesting the Osun governorship election under Accord, has also created an unusual political relationship between the governor and the President.

Adeleke reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid earlier in 2026, describing the President as a leader of the South-West.

Against that background, Thursday’s meeting carries both a governance message and a wider political significance.

Tinubu’s emphasis on reconciliation suggests that the Federal Government wants the outcome of the Osun election to be followed by political stability rather than prolonged confrontation.

For Adeleke, the challenge now shifts from winning votes to governing effectively.

What happens next for Adeleke?

With the election decided, attention will increasingly turn to whether Adeleke can translate his renewed mandate into measurable development across Osun.

The governor has promised to build on his administration’s existing programmes while expanding development, improving governance and pursuing a broader economic transformation agenda.

He has also said his ambition is to move Osun beyond its traditional dependence on the civil service towards greater industrialisation and investment.

The immediate political test, however, may be reconciliation.

Whether Adeleke follows Tinubu’s advice by extending his administration beyond partisan boundaries could determine how smoothly the state moves into the next phase of governance.

For the opposition, the election result closes one political chapter but does not eliminate the competition that will continue to shape Osun politics.

For the governor, the message from the Presidency is clear: the campaign is over, the mandate has been secured, and the next responsibility is to govern for everyone.

What readers should know

• Ademola Adeleke won the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election.
• He secured 511,067 votes against Bola Oyebamiji’s 444,815.
• Adeleke won by 66,252 votes.
• He secured a second term after previously winning in 2022.
• Tinubu has urged him not to stigmatise or victimise his opponents.
• The President described the victory as an electoral mandate, not a conquest.
• Adeleke has separately called for post-election peace and reconciliation.
• The next major focus will be whether the governor can convert his renewed mandate into broader development and political stability in Osun.