Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following his victory in the August 15, 2026, governorship election.
Adeleke defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, with 511,067 votes against his rival’s 444,815 votes.
The governor arrived at the INEC office in Osogbo for the presentation accompanied by members of his cabinet, National and State Assembly lawmakers, friends and supporters.
The Certificate of Return was presented to Adeleke by the INEC National Commissioner for the South-West, Professor Kunle Ajayi.
Speaking after the presentation in an address titled “A Time to Heal, Unite and Build,” Adeleke thanked the people of Osun State for their support and commitment to democracy.
He said the certificate belonged not only to him but to the people of the state who participated in the electoral process.
Adeleke, however, called for sober reflection following reports of violence during the election, noting that lives were lost while properties and livelihoods were destroyed.
He remembered victims including Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass and Kolade Eluyera, stressing that they should be remembered as citizens and not merely as statistics.
The governor disclosed that the Adeleke family, through the Springtime Development Foundation, would provide full scholarships up to university level for the children and dependants of those who lost their lives during the electoral violence.
He also announced the establishment of a ₦500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund by the Osun State Government to support verified victims and affected families.
According to him, a Verification and Relief Committee, chaired by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, would oversee the identification of victims and distribution of assistance.
Adeleke stressed that the intervention would be humanitarian rather than political, assuring that eligible victims would not be discriminated against based on political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender or social status.
He said his Certificate of Return should not be viewed as a trophy or a tool against political opponents but as a renewed commitment to the people of Osun State.
“The election is over. The campaign is over. The contest is over. Now is the time to govern, unite, heal and build,” he said.
Adeleke further pledged to sustain efforts in infrastructure development, healthcare, education, workers’ welfare, youth empowerment and economic growth while promoting accountability, transparency and inclusive governance.