The spokesperson for the Imole Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, on Sunday commended President Bola Tinubu for what he described as his commitment to ensuring a free and fair governorship election in Osun State.

Olajengbesi spoke shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Governor Ademola Adeleke the winner of the August 15 governorship election at the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo.

According to him, Tinubu had called Adeleke to congratulate him on his victory before INEC formally announced the result.

The election had been preceded by a tense campaign characterised by accusations between the ruling Accord Party and the APC over political violence, security and the conduct of the poll.

In the weeks leading to the election, Adeleke had appealed to Tinubu to intervene over alleged killings and what he described as political repression in the state. The APC, however, rejected the allegations and accused the governor of attempting to blame the President for his political difficulties.

The Imole Campaign Council had also previously petitioned the British High Commission and the Inspector-General of Police over alleged security concerns, calling for the August 15 election to be free, fair and credible.

As the election approached, the campaign council subsequently backed Tinubu’s directive to the police and other security agencies to remain professional and neutral during the poll, describing the presidential directive as necessary to protect voters and the credibility of the electoral process.

Against that background, Olajengbesi said the President deserved commendation for the conduct of the election.

“We are also appreciative of Mr President because, at the commencement of this election, Mr President announced to the world and informed the Independent National Electoral Commission that the poll should be credible, and we agree that the election was credible, free and fair.

“Even before the election results were announced, Mr President called Governor Adeleke and congratulated him. Politics should not be a do-or-die affair, and that is what Governor Adeleke stands for. Throughout this campaign, he has been more interested in the people.”

“I am super excited. This is the manifestation of God and the will of the people of Osun State. This election has clearly shown that Governor Ademola Adeleke is the man of the people, and it shows that Mr Governor has performed excellently. The people of Osun have renewed his mandate. Despite all the intimidation, harassment and reckless use of power by all institutions, Mr Governor emerged victorious.

“This is proof that the people of Osun State are determined to elect a leader who is willing to serve them,” he said.

The claim came shortly after the State Returning Officer, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Prof Joshua Ogunwole, declared Adeleke the winner at about 7:24am on Sunday.

Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11. The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third.

The result marked Adeleke’s return for a second term after he left the Peoples Democratic Party, the platform on which he was elected in 2022, and secured the Accord Party ticket for the 2026 election.

The campaign spokesperson also said Adeleke had instructed his supporters before the poll not to engage in vote-buying.

He commended the electorate for supporting the governor despite what he described as pressure on them to abandon him.

However, allegations of vote-buying and other electoral infractions have emerged following the election.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged INEC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to jointly investigate reported cases of vote-buying, financial inducement, illegal election financing, voter intimidation, violence and other electoral offences linked to the election.