Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has sent goodwill messages to Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji after INEC declared him winner of Saturday’s governorship election for a second term.

In a statement released Sunday in Osogbo by his spokesperson Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke said Oyebanji’s return to office shows voters have confidence in his stewardship. He noted the outcome rewards the strides recorded in Ekiti during Oyebanji’s first tenure and will allow him to push forward projects already underway. “I celebrate with my brother governor and join Ekiti people in hoping his new term builds on the progress seen in the last four years,” the statement read.

The Osun APC also congratulated Oyebanji, with spokesperson Kola Olabisi saying the result proves residents voted to keep the current administration in place. Olabisi claimed the outcome reinforces APC’s dominance in the South-West and puts pressure on opposition parties in the region.

An Osun APC leader, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, went further, predicting the same pattern would play out in Osun’s August 15 governorship poll. He praised Oyebanji’s performance and credited APC’s national leadership under Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and Sen. Ajibola Basiru for strengthening the party. Oyintiloye also highlighted the role of ex-Osun governor Adegboyega Oyetola, now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, for keeping Osun APC engaged since 2022. “Ekiti has shown that unity and grassroots work make winning easier. That’s what Osun must copy,” he said.

INEC announced the result in the early hours of Sunday. Oyebanji of the APC secured 319,224 votes, while PDP’s Wole Oluyede had 40,543 votes.

Source: Punch news