Fresh off his declared victory in the Osun State governorship election, Governor Ademola Adeleke has thanked President Bola Tinubu for what he described as a free and credible poll, while making clear he is still waiting to hear from his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the APC.

Speaking shortly after INEC returning officer Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole declared him winner with 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815, Adeleke said the President had already reached out personally.

“Mr President has called me, and he has congratulated me,” the governor said, thanking Tinubu for what he framed as a demonstration of respect for democratic process. Accord Party chieftain Pelumi Olajengbesi later told journalists at the collation centre in Osogbo that Tinubu’s call had come even before the result was formally announced, on Saturday night, describing the gesture as an example of good leadership and non-interference in the electoral process.

Turning to his defeated opponent, Adeleke struck a conciliatory but pointed tone. “It’s no victor, no vanquished. I want them to come over. I’m expecting Oyebamiji to call me and congratulate me,” he said, framing the outcome as one that shouldn’t be read as a bitter contest between winners and losers. As of the latest reports, Oyebamiji had yet to publicly concede or place that call.

Adeleke credited his re-election to divine favour and to what he called the people of Osun rewarding his administration’s delivery on infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture and security over the past term. He also used the moment to lay out his second-term ambitions, saying his vision is to shift Osun away from dependence on civil service employment and toward becoming an industrial hub, with development spread across the state.

The victory, which handed Adeleke a 66,252-vote margin and control of 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, has already drawn congratulatory messages from opposition heavyweights beyond the state, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra governor Peter Obi, both of whom praised the peaceful conduct of the election and its significance for Nigerian democracy.

The result followed a campaign marked by tension between the Accord Party and the APC, including allegations of vote-buying and isolated reports of BVAS malfunctions and violence at some polling units, though Olajengbesi maintained the process was credible even if not entirely free of friction.