The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji, has met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, urging residents of the state to remain peaceful following the outcome of the August 16 governorship election.
Oyebamiji’s visit came a day after Governor Ademola Adeleke, who defeated him in the election, also met with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.
The meeting between Tinubu and Oyebamiji was disclosed on Friday by the president’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Olusegun Dada, in a post on X.
Dada accompanied a video of the meeting with the caption: “President Bola Tinubu meets in audience Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, the governorship candidate of the APC in the recently concluded Osun State gubernatorial elections.”
Speaking after the meeting, Oyebamiji appealed to Osun residents to remain calm, stressing that governance was ultimately about the welfare of the people.
“It is important for us that we, Nigerians, have to know that government is about people, and it’s about people, and it’s about people,” he said.
“And because it’s about people, it is important that we need to be peaceful, and I want to appeal to our people in Osun that they need to be peaceful.”
Oyebamiji said the APC was still reviewing the results of the election and would announce its position after completing its assessment.
“For now, the APC is still examining the books, and by the time we spread our sheet, we’ll be able to get back to the public and listen to what our own opinion and what decisions we want to take,” he said.
“But the take-home is that they should be calm.”
The APC candidate also appealed to Adeleke to caution his supporters against violence, warning that any violent action would ultimately affect residents of the state.
“I want to advise the governor too that it’s important for him to talk to his people. Violence is against our people. It’s not too good, and he needs to talk to them so that each and every one of us can be on the same page,” Oyebamiji said.
The former commissioner also confirmed that some people were attacked in his hometown, Ikire, on Friday morning.
According to him, about four or five people were attacked, while security agencies had been informed of the incident.
“It was at this morning in my own village, Ikire. Some were attacked. About four or five people were attacked. We have informed the security operatives accordingly,” he said.
Oyebamiji lost the election to Adeleke, who contested under the Accord party.
Adeleke secured 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815 votes. The incumbent governor won in 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while the APC candidate prevailed in 11.
The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission’s State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, declared Adeleke the winner on Sunday, August 16.
Following the declaration, Tinubu congratulated Adeleke, describing the outcome as a reflection of the will of the people and evidence that democracy remained strong in Nigeria.
The president urged the governor to unite residents of the state and concentrate on its development.
Adeleke subsequently thanked Tinubu for his role in ensuring what he described as a free and fair election, while reaffirming his support for the president’s re-election bid in 2027.
During his visit to Tinubu on Thursday, August 20, Adeleke presented his Certificate of Return to the president.
Tinubu, during the meeting, urged Adeleke to demonstrate “magnanimity in victory” and work towards promoting unity, peace and stability across Osun State.
Oyebamiji’s meeting with the president therefore places both major contenders in the recently concluded election at the Presidential Villa within 24 hours of each other, as the political process moves into the post-election phase.
