By Governor Ademola Adeleke formally received his Certificate of Return for a second term on Wednesday, using the occasion not to celebrate outright but to acknowledge the human cost of the campaign that preceded his victory, and to announce a state-backed fund for those affected by it.
In remarks titled “A Time to Heal, Unite and Build,” Adeleke told Osun residents that the certificate belonged not to him alone but to the state’s workers, market traders, youths, and traditional and religious leaders who took part in the democratic process, saying he was humbled by the confidence they had renewed in him. He struck a measured tone throughout, describing the win as something to be grateful for while remaining sober about what it cost to get there, citizens injured, property and livelihoods destroyed, and, he said, lives lost that no political contest was worth.
The governor named four individuals directly: Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass and Kolade Eluyera, describing them as victims of electoral violence who, regardless of political affiliation, were first and foremost residents of Osun State. He told their families that their loss was shared by the state and that their loved ones would not be reduced to statistics.
New Fund and Scholarship Commitment
Adeleke announced two concrete measures tied to that acknowledgement. The Adeleke family, through the Springtime Development Foundation, will provide full scholarships through university level for the children and dependants of those who died. Separately, the Osun State Government will establish a ₦500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund to support verified victims and their families.
Oversight of the fund will fall to a Verification and Relief Committee chaired by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, tasked with transparently identifying victims and distributing support equitably. Adeleke was explicit that the intervention was not a political gesture, stating that no eligible victim would be excluded based on political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender, or social status, and framing the effort as a humanitarian responsibility rather than a partisan one.
The announcement places Egbedun, who spent the final days of the campaign publicly appealing to the international community over alleged security threats against Accord members in Odo-Otin, in a central role in the state’s post-election reconciliation effort, a role that follows the Imole Campaign Council’s own recent directive for local government structures to begin documenting all election violence victims regardless of party affiliation.
“The Election Is Over”
Adeleke described the Certificate of Return as a renewed contract with the people of Osun rather than a trophy, telling both his supporters and those who voted for other candidates that he considered himself governor to all. He said the state would now shift its focus toward infrastructure, healthcare, education, workers’ welfare, youth empowerment, and economic development, pledging to govern with accountability, inclusion, and transparency.
He closed by asking for God’s comfort for grieving families and healing for the injured, describing Wednesday’s ceremony as a moment to be grateful for victory while remaining mindful of its cost, before turning attention toward what he called the work now ahead.
