Osun Governor Seeks Post-Election Peace with Ex-Leaders

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has extended an olive branch to former state leaders as part of a broader initiative for post-election reconciliation. The governor used the occasion of Osun's 35th anniversary to engage in discussions aimed at healing the divisions caused by the recent governorship election.

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We are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the creation of our dear state. So, it is customary that I felicitate with leaders from various groups. I commended them for their contributions to state development.

In a statement released on Friday, Adeleke's spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, detailed the governor's outreach to prominent figures including former governor and ex-national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande. Adeleke reportedly urged the restoration of elite interaction and consensus following the polls, briefing Akande on his reconciliation efforts and the need for a unified post-election agenda.

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Then, my central message is to preach and act for peace and reconciliation. I repeated my earlier statement that there is no victor, no vanquished. Election has come and gone, and it is time for us to return to governance and healing of electoral wounds.

The governor also spoke with former governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Rauf Aregbesola, expressing his desire to reconcile all political groups. He congratulated them on the state's anniversary while emphasizing his commitment to peace. Calls were also made to former Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, though no response had been received at the time of reporting.

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That is my preoccupation as reflected in my state address, and that is my appeal to my predecessors and even my fellow contestants in the last guber election. We must unite our people and prepare an enabling environment for them to enjoy the dividends of democracy and continuous delivery of good governance.

Adeleke stated that his central message was to preach and act for peace and reconciliation, asserting that "there is no victor, no vanquished." He stressed the importance of returning to governance and healing electoral wounds, aligning his actions with President Bola Tinubu's call for peacebuilding and state reconciliation. The governor reiterated his dedication to sustaining development through his peace drive, describing it as a sacred and passionate task.

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I will not stop in my peace drive to sustain development. This is a sacred task I am passionately committed to