Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State received his Certificate of Return on Wednesday, August 19. Professor Kunle Ajani, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, presented the certificate at INEC headquarters in Osogbo. The ceremony formalised Adeleke's victory in the August 15 governorship election.
Adeleke won re-election as the candidate of the Accord Party. He defeated Bola Oyebamiji of the APC and Najeem Salam of the ADC. The election was marred by violence in several locations. Adeleke paid tribute to four citizens who died. He named them as Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass, and Kolade Eluyera.
The governor announced a N500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund. A Verification and Relief Committee will manage the disbursement. The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, will chair the committee. Adeleke stressed that the fund would be non-partisan. No victim will be excluded based on political affiliation, religion, or ethnicity.
The Adeleke family, through its Springtime Development Foundation, pledged full scholarships up to university level for children of those killed. Adeleke urged residents to move beyond campaign bitterness. He said his second term would prioritise infrastructure, healthcare, education, and workers' welfare.
