Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke on Thursday paid a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, where the two leaders held a closed-door meeting.
Adeleke arrived at the State House at about 5:20–5:25 p.m., dressed in a navy blue traditional attire and carrying a walking stick.
He alighted from a black Toyota Land Cruiser SUV and was accompanied by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The governor proceeded directly to the President’s office through the forecourt route for the private discussions.
Shortly afterwards, around 5:40 p.m., four other Osun State officials arrived at the Villa. They included Senator Lere Oyewumi, Director-General of the Adeleke Campaign Council; Sunday Bisi, a member of the campaign council; Akinleye Kazeem, Chief of Staff to the Governor; and Bamidele Salam, the House of Representatives member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency.
During the visit, Adeleke presented his Certificate of Return to President Tinubu. The certificate had been issued to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osogbo on Wednesday.
The meeting marked Adeleke’s first known encounter with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa since the Osun governorship election held on August 15, 2026. In that poll, Adeleke, contesting on the platform of the Accord Party, secured 511,067 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. The margin of victory stood at 66,252 votes, with Adeleke winning in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas.
The visit followed a personal congratulatory telephone call from Tinubu to Adeleke after the election results were declared. The President had described the outcome as “a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in our country” and urged the governor to reach out to all residents of Osun State, including those who did not vote for him, while focusing on unity, growth, and socio-economic development.
Speaking to journalists after the closed-door meeting, Adeleke said the primary purpose of his visit was to thank the President for upholding democracy and ensuring a free and fair electoral process in Osun.
“I’m here to thank Mr. President, the father of the nation, because he fought for this democracy. That is why he allowed free and fair election, and that is the result,” Adeleke stated. “That is why I’m here, to say thank you to ensure that democracy lives in Nigeria.”
Details of the discussions held behind closed doors were not immediately made public. The engagement comes against the backdrop of intensifying political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections and follows Adeleke’s decision to contest under the Accord Party after previously serving under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Osun PDP had backed his re-election bid.
On Wednesday, while receiving his Certificate of Return from INEC National Commissioner for the South-West, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, Adeleke dedicated the victory to the people of Osun and announced plans to establish a ₦500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund to support verified victims and affected families.
The Thursday meeting at Aso Rock underscores ongoing federal-state engagements as Nigeria’s political landscape continues to evolve.
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