Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has formally received his certificate of return following his victory in the governorship election and announced the creation of a ₦500 million endowment fund to support families affected by electoral violence.
The certificate was presented to the governor on Wednesday by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner Prof Kunle Ajayi at a ceremony in the presence of state cabinet members and political associates. On Sunday, State Returning Officer Prof Joshua Ogunwole formally declared Adeleke the winner after he secured 511,067 votes, defeating All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
Addressing attendees at the presentation, Adeleke dedicated the outcome to the public, stating that “this certificate does not belong to Ademola Adeleke alone” but to workers, youths, market men and women, traditional and religious figures, and “every citizen who participated in this democratic process.”
Expressing regret over the fatalities, injuries, and property damage recorded during the election cycle, Adeleke stressed that no political ambition “is worth the life of a single citizen.” He stated that the government would “remember Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass, Kolade Eluyera, and every other victim of electoral violence”, adding that their families’ “pain is our pain”.
To provide relief, the Osun State Government will establish a ₦500 million election violence victims endowment fund. The scheme will be managed by a verification and relief committee led by Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Adewale Olumide Egbedun, to ensure transparent identification and equitable support for affected families.
In addition to state funding, the governor announced that his family’s Springtime Development Foundation will sponsor full university scholarships for the dependents of those killed. Adeleke noted that the initiative is “a humanitarian responsibility” rather than a political gesture, asserting that “no eligible victim will be excluded because of political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender or social status.”