Governor Ademola Adeleke has appealed for peace and unity in Osun State following his re-election, as the All Progressives Congress weighs its legal options after losing Saturday’s governorship election.

Adeleke was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after polling 511,067 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. The governor won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.

The State Returning Officer, Prof Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, declared Adeleke winner on Sunday and returned him for a second term.

President Bola Tinubu congratulated Adeleke, saying his victory reflected the confidence of Osun residents in his leadership.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said he had personally called Adeleke to congratulate him and urged him to unite the people of the state regardless of their political affiliations.

“I called Governor Ademola Adeleke earlier today (Sunday) to congratulate him on his election victory in Osun State. His victory once again confirmed the confidence the people of Osun State have in him,” Tinubu said.

The President also commended other contestants, including Oyebamiji and the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, for their participation in the election.

Adeleke, in his victory speech, extended an olive branch to his opponents and called for peace following weeks of political tension and reported violence across the state.

“In this race, there is no victor, no vanquished. I extend an olive branch to my co-contestants. I am the Governor of all Osun people,” Adeleke said.

He pledged to build on his administration’s achievements, address its shortcomings and accelerate development under his renewed five-point agenda.

The governor also urged community leaders and traditional institutions to promote peace and prevent post-election violence, while appealing to residents to forgive one another and restore communal harmony.

He further commended Tinubu for what he described as his support for a credible and peaceful election and reaffirmed his endorsement of the President’s bid for a second term in 2027.

“Mr President is a son of Osun State, and I hereby reaffirm my earlier endorsement of him for a second term in the 2027 presidential election,” Adeleke said.

Meanwhile, the Osun APC said it was studying the results from the 332 wards across the state before deciding on its next course of action, including whether to challenge the outcome at the election tribunal.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, the party said the electoral process extended beyond the declaration of results and could proceed through the tribunal, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

“We are not unaware of the fact that election is a process which begins at the registration of the voters through the primary election to the election proper which extends to the tribunal, the Appeal Court and terminates at the Supreme Court,” the party said.

The APC said it would consult its legal team and explore available legal options under the Electoral Act, while urging its members and supporters to remain calm and avoid provocative actions.

The party also appealed to the police to protect its members and supporters whom it alleged were being harassed by members of the ruling party.

The ADC, meanwhile, congratulated Adeleke on his re-election but demanded an explanation from INEC over what it described as a nearly four-hour interruption in the uploading of polling-unit results to the IReV portal during the election.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said result uploads reportedly stopped at about 8pm and called on INEC to explain what happened.

“The ADC hereby demands a comprehensive explanation from the Independent National Electoral Commission regarding the observed interruption in the uploading of election results to the IReV portal for nearly four hours on election night. INEC must tell Nigerians precisely what happened,” Abdullahi said.

The party, however, provided no evidence that INEC deliberately halted the uploads.

The ADC said Adeleke’s victory demonstrated the potential of opposition parties working together ahead of the 2027 general elections, while warning opposition leaders against complacency.

The party’s governorship candidate, Najeem Salaam, also congratulated Adeleke, saying the outcome demonstrated that democracy had prevailed.

Salaam, who polled 17,180 votes to finish third, urged the governor to address areas where his administration had fallen short and consolidate its achievements.

“Politics is not a do-or-die affair. The people have spoken; democracy has prevailed,” Salaam said.

He wished Adeleke a successful second term focused on development, peace and prosperity.