GOVERNOR Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has announced a sweeping package of humanitarian measures to support families affected by the violence that marred the build-up to the August 15, 2026 governorship election, including a ₦500 million endowment fund and automatic university scholarships for the children of those who lost their lives.
Speaking on Wednesday at a celebratory rally organised by the Osun labour movement, shortly after receiving his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the governor struck a sombre note amid the jubilation, urging the state to remember those who paid the ultimate price during the electoral process.
“As part of our commitment to supporting affected families, the Adeleke family, through the Springtime Development Foundation, will provide automatic scholarships up to university level for the children and dependents of those who lost their lives,” the governor declared.
He further announced that the Osun State Government would establish a ₦500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund to provide relief and support to verified victims and their families. A Verification and Relief Committee, chaired by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, will oversee the transparent identification and assessment of victims and the equitable distribution of relief.
“This is not a political fund. It is a humanitarian intervention. No eligible victim will be discriminated against on the basis of political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender or social status,” Adeleke emphasised.
The governor, who was re-elected for a second term after defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, by a margin of over 66,000 votes, took time to commemorate those lost. At the Ataoja Palace in Osogbo, he named some of the victims, saying: “We remember Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass, Kolade Eluyera, and the many other victims whose lives were cut short or permanently affected by electoral violence. To their families, I say: your pain has not been forgotten, and your loved ones will never be reduced to statistics.”
In a spirit of magnanimity, the governor declared that he had forgiven all those who might have offended him during the election and bore no grudge against his political adversaries. “God has fought my battles for me, and so I hold unto God throughout the duration of the political war and now that I have been re-elected,” he said.
He dedicated his victory to the people of Osun State, insisting that the Certificate of Return “belongs to the people of Osun State, the market men and women, workers, youths, traditional and religious leaders, and every citizen who demonstrates that our democracy cannot be intimidated, purchased or suppressed.”
Adeleke also commended INEC for acting professionally, stating: “You stood for democracy.” He praised the security agencies, particularly the Commissioner of Police and the DSS, though he added: “I would have loved the police to do more, but we thank God the election day went violence-free.”
The governor later visited the Ataoja of Osogbo, the Timi of Ede, and Senator Oluwole Alabi to present his Certificate of Return for royal blessings.
INEC National Commissioner for the Osun election, Kunle Ajayi, also commended voters for defying intimidation and turning out to exercise their voting rights.
The final results saw Adeleke poll 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji of the APC, who scored 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, polled 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured 11.
