Adeleke presents certificate of return to Tinubu at Aso Rock

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday presented his certificate of return to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Mr Adeleke arrived at the Aso Villa at about 5:25 p.m., dressed in navy blue traditional attire and carrying a walking stick. He arrived in a black Toyota Land Cruiser and was accompanied by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The meeting marked Adeleke’s first known engagement with President Tinubu since his victory in the Osun State governorship election held last Saturday.

A photograph shared by Olalekan Badmus, Special Assistant to the governor on Digital Media, showed Adeleke shaking hands with the President after the meeting.

“Governor Ademola Adeleke presented his certificate of return to President Tinubu following a closed-door meeting at Aso Villa,” Badmus wrote in a post accompanying the photograph.

Mr Adeleke had on Wednesday received his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, following his victory in the election.

The certificate was presented to him by INEC National Commissioner representing the South-West, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, at a ceremony attended by members of the governor’s cabinet, political associates and other stakeholders.

While receiving the certificate, Adeleke announced plans to establish a N500 million endowment fund for victims of election-related violence in the state.

The governor was declared winner of the election by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, after polling 511,067 votes.

He defeated the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes.

Mr Adeleke contested the election on the platform of the Accord Party.

His latest victory consolidates his hold on the Osun governorship, having first won the office in 2022 as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, when he defeated then incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

Mr Oyetola, who later became Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, contested the 2022 election on the platform of the APC.

Adeleke’s presentation of the certificate to Tinubu comes amid heightened political interest in Osun State following the governor’s re-election and his subsequent engagement with the President at the Presidential Villa.