By Anayo Akwitti
Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Kalu, has congratulated Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election, describing the outcome as a reflection of the will of the electorate and Nigeria’s democratic process.
Kalu, in a statement issued by his media office on Sunday, says the result should not be viewed as a setback for President Bola Tinubu or the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the President’s political prospects in Osun remain bright ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
He says the election outcome should instead serve as an opportunity for the APC to reassess its strategies, strengthen its grassroots structures and deepen engagement with voters and other stakeholders.
“I join President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in congratulating Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election as the Governor of Osun State. I also sympathise with the APC leadership, our party’s governorship candidate and all our supporters over the outcome of the election,” Kalu said.
The former governor also commended the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun governor, Gboyega Oyetola, for his contributions to the development of the state, while urging APC members to remain united and focused.
Kalu said the election demonstrated the importance of respecting the choice of voters, stressing that political parties must be prepared to learn from electoral setbacks and return stronger.
“What happened in Osun is democracy in play. Elections are about the choice of the people, and as a party, we should be able to come back stronger,” he said.
He further expressed confidence that Tinubu could secure broader support in Osun in 2027, noting that political support for the President could extend beyond the APC to stakeholders and members of other political parties, including the Accord Party.
“The future of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Osun State is very bright. The outcome of this election is not a setback for Mr. President. Rather, it gives us another opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the people and work together for the success of Nigeria,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke winner of the August 15 Osun governorship election after he polled 511,067 votes.
His closest challenger, the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, scored 444,815 votes, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.
The State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, declared Adeleke winner at about 7:24 a.m. on Sunday.
According to the announced results, 1,010,684 voters were accredited, while 1,005,800 votes were cast. Of the votes cast, 985,079 were valid and 20,721 were rejected.
Declaring the result, Ogunwole said: “That Ademola Nurudeen-Jackson Adeleke, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the August 15 governorship election and returned elected.”
Kalu urged all political actors and supporters to accept the outcome and focus on strengthening democracy, national unity and development.
He maintained that renewed engagement, strategic mobilisation and stronger grassroots structures could help the APC and President Tinubu regain and expand support in Osun State and across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.
