By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State on Thursday visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, days after securing a second term in office.
Adeleke arrived at the State House at about 5:20pm and proceeded to the President’s office for a closed-door meeting with Tinubu. He was accompanied by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and several political associates.
The meeting marked the first known encounter between Tinubu and Adeleke at the Presidential Villa since the Osun governorship election held on August 15.
During the visit, Adeleke presented his Certificate of Return to Tinubu, following its presentation to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osogbo on Wednesday.
The governor secured 511,067 votes in the election to defeat the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes, giving Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes. He won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas.
Adeleke contested the election on the platform of the Accord Party after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, under which he won his first term in 2022. Despite his new party affiliation, the Osun PDP backed his re-election bid.
The visit followed Tinubu’s congratulatory message to Adeleke after the election. The President described the result as a reflection of the will of the people of Osun State and said Adeleke’s victory demonstrated that democracy could continue to flourish in Nigeria.
Tinubu also urged the governor to unite the people of Osun State, irrespective of their political choices during the election, and focus on growth, stability and socio-economic development.
Adeleke, for his part, has previously praised Tinubu over the conduct of the election and reaffirmed his support for the President’s bid for a second term in the 2027 presidential election. He described Tinubu as an Osun son.
That political alignment adds significance to Thursday’s meeting, coming just days after Adeleke’s decisive victory in a closely contested election and as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, the specific details of the discussions between the two leaders were not immediately made public. Reports described the engagement as a closed-door meeting, with issues discussed yet to be formally disclosed.
The meeting also comes against the backdrop of Tinubu’s earlier appeal to Osun voters, shortly before the election, to freely vote for their preferred candidate. The President had said adequate security arrangements were being made to enable voters to cast their ballots without fear or intimidation.
The governor had, at the INEC presentation ceremony on Wednesday, dedicated the certificate to the people of Osun State and called for reconciliation following the contest. He also announced plans to establish a N500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund to support verified victims and affected families.
