President Bola Tinubu has told Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, that his victory in the recently concluded governorship election should not be seen as a conquest over his political opponents.
Tinubu gave the warning when Adeleke visited him at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, days after securing another term as governor of Osun State.
The President urged Adeleke to use his renewed mandate to promote reconciliation and unity instead of stigmatising those who contested against him.
Tinubu stressed that an election is not a war in which there must be winners and losers in the traditional sense.
He said Adeleke had simply received the backing of the electorate and should now govern in the interest of everyone in the state.
“You did not conquer anybody. You won an election. That is the essence of democracy. I’m so happy that we have this talk.”
The President also cautioned the governor against turning any of his political opponents into victims because of the outcome of the election.
He said the conduct of Adeleke after the election would be more important than the manner in which he celebrated his victory.
“Don’t stigmatise any of your opponents. And the people of Osun State pronounced their judgment on you that they love you, they want you to govern. So you’re going back to govern.
“Anybody, any democrat, anybody in the political environment who cannot celebrate the joy of a free and fair election does not deserve the laughter and the happiness of democracy.
“Don’t make a single individual a victim of your campaign. Don’t. Not for you alone; not for the sake of Osun alone, for the generations to come. It’s more important for you to build a network of unity.
“As I said, you did not conquer anybody. You won an election. That is the essence of democracy. I’m so happy that we have this talk.”
Tinubu further encouraged Adeleke to broaden his political reach and use his second term to bring people together.
He said the people of Osun State had entrusted Adeleke with another four years and expected him to use the opportunity to improve the state rather than deepen political divisions.
The President said, “It’s just their support, not their smartness. It’s the wish of God that prevailed and the wish of the people for you.”
He also told the governor that his position should be regarded as an opportunity to build a lasting legacy.
Tinubu said Adeleke could demonstrate gratitude for his victory by reconciling with those who opposed him during the campaign and creating room for cooperation across political lines.
“It’s the way you act it. Use me as an example. And I got here. God put me here. Where you are today, God put you there. Not the smartness of any of these people.”
The meeting came shortly after Tinubu personally congratulated Adeleke over the election.
Following the declaration of the result, the President had described the governor’s re-election as a sign that democracy could continue to thrive in Nigeria.
He also called on Adeleke to unite Osun residents regardless of the political choices they made during the poll.
Adeleke secured 511,067 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. The result gave the governor a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
Politics Nigeria earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu received Governor Ademola Adeleke at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Adeleke arrived at the Presidential Villa at exactly 5:25 pm on Thursday.
He was dressed in a navy blue traditional outfit and was seen carrying a walking stick as he stepped out of a black Toyota Land Cruiser SUV.
The governor arrived alongside the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The meeting was the first known meeting between Adeleke and Tinubu since the governor won the August 15 governorship election.
Four other officials from Osun State were also seen arriving at the Villa shortly after Adeleke.
They included the Director-General of the Adeleke Campaign Council, Senator Lere Oyewumi; a member of the council, Sunday Bisi; the Chief of Staff to the Osun State Governor, Akinleye Kazeem; and the member of the House of Representatives representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam.
The governor’s visit also came a day after he received his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission following his victory.
The certificate formally confirmed Adeleke’s return to office for another four-year term.
Moreover, Politics Nigeria had earlier reported that Adeleke and the national leadership of the Accord Party adopted Tinubu as their preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Adeleke has repeatedly described Tinubu as a leader whose support he believes would benefit Osun State and the wider South-West.
Following his victory in the Osun election, Adeleke also thanked Tinubu for congratulating him and credited the President with supporting the democratic process.
That political relationship formed an important backdrop to Thursday’s meeting at the Presidential Villa.
Despite their different party platforms in the Osun governorship election, Tinubu and Adeleke have maintained a working political relationship.
