Politics
Adeleke Forgives Offenders as INEC Presents Certificate of Return in Osogbo
By Joseph Sunday
Governor Ademola Adeleke says he has forgiven all those who offended him, as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, presented Certificates of Return to winners of the Osun State Governorship Election held on August 15, 2026.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony in Osogbo, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Osun State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the event was more than a procedural requirement but a constitutional milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
Citing Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, Babalola said INEC is mandated to issue a Certificate of Return to any candidate duly declared elected, adding that the presentation affirms the sovereign choice of the people of Osun State as expressed through the ballot.
She said the election was conducted in a peaceful, orderly and transparent manner, with a voter turnout of 43.2 per cent, despite isolated incidents of violence that were swiftly contained by security agencies.
According to her, the timely deployment of personnel and materials, the effective performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and prompt upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV, strengthened the credibility of the process.
The REC commended stakeholders who contributed to the success of the poll, including political parties and candidates, the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, civil society organisations, election observers, the media, traditional and religious leaders, and the electorate.
She particularly praised security agencies for providing a secure environment for voters, noting that about 10 agencies coordinated effectively before, during and after the election.
Babalola also lauded the media for countering misinformation and for voter education, and thanked traditional rulers and religious leaders for promoting peace and tolerance.
She further appreciated INEC staff at both national and state levels, including National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners, Electoral Officers, Returning Officers and ad-hoc staff, for their professionalism and resilience.
In his remarks, the National Commissioner supervising Osun State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, said that only weeks before the election, the state witnessed disturbing incidents of political violence, killings and threats documented by civil society organisations.
Despite the challenges, Ajayi said INEC, under its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, remained committed to conducting a free, fair, credible, inclusive and conclusive election.
He stressed that the Commission had no preferred candidate or political party, but came to the election with the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act, and its regulations and guidelines.
Ajayi said the deployment of BVAS and IReV, which performed optimally in Osun, was a product of lessons learned from previous elections, and commended the Commission’s ICT team.
He also commended party agents for demonstrating improved knowledge of the electoral process, especially in scrutinising polling unit result sheets and cross-checking results uploaded to IReV, describing informed party agents as an additional layer of accountability.
In his acceptance speech after receiving his Certificate of Return alongside his Deputy Governor-elect, Governor Adeleke said his victory for a second term has changed the political landscape of Osun State.
Adeleke thanked INEC, security agencies, particularly the Commissioner of Police in charge of the election, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, for their efforts.
He said he remains governor for all Osun people and called for unity.
“Whatever has happened in the past, let bygones be bygones. I have the fear of God. All those who offended me, I forgive them. What else do I want? The Good Lord has fought my battles and I have overcome. I have brought light to Osun State and driven away darkness. Osun will never see darkness again,” he said.
The governor commiserated with families of those who lost their lives during the electioneering period and announced that the Adeleke family will support the bereaved families, including awarding scholarships to their children in Adeleke High School and Adeleke University.
He also appreciated the President for sustaining democracy in Nigeria.
