Nigeria Politics Watch
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election in Osun State, describing the outcome as a reflection of the will of the people and an assurance that democracy can continue to flourish under the current federal administration. The Presidency published the statement on Sunday, August 16, 2026.
Tinubu disclosed that he had personally called Adeleke earlier in the day to congratulate him. He said the result confirmed the confidence Osun voters have in the governor and urged Adeleke to use his second term to unite the state and pursue growth, stability and socio-economic progress regardless of political affiliation.
Why it matters: this is politically significant because the President, who leads the APC nationally, has publicly accepted the defeat of his party’s candidate in a competitive governorship election and explicitly described the result as reflecting the voters’ will. That reduces immediate uncertainty over whether the federal ruling party would politically contest the legitimacy of the outcome, although it does not prevent APC or its candidate from pursuing any legal challenge independently.
The original source is the State House, in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, dated August 16. Tinubu also commended INEC and security agencies, describing the election as peaceful and transparent and saying it produced a clear winner.
Confirmed: Tinubu personally congratulated Adeleke; the Presidency accepts the declared result as reflecting the will of Osun voters; and the President has publicly praised INEC and the security agencies. Unconfirmed: whether APC’s Osun leadership or Bola Oyebamiji will formally concede, whether any petition will be filed, and whether INEC will separately explain the earlier IReV interruption.
