After Election Battle, Adeleke Reaches Out To Political Rivals Across Party Lines

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has reached out to former governors and key political leaders across party lines in a move aimed at promoting reconciliation and putting political differences behind the state following the recently concluded governorship election.

Pelumi Olajengbesi, former spokesperson of the Imole Gubernatorial Campaign Council for the 2026 Osun governorship election, disclosed this while commending Adeleke for what he described as an effort to foster unity and collective development in the state.

Olajengbesi said he was particularly impressed that Adeleke personally placed calls to former governors and other political leaders, urging them to set aside their differences and work together for the progress of Osun.

“I am particularly impressed to learn that Governor Ademola Adeleke personally placed calls to former Governors and key political leaders across party lines, speaking to them about the need to put differences aside and work together for the progress of Osun State,” he said.

He described Adeleke as “an inspirational leader” whose character, humility and excellence, according to him, offered important lessons for a new generation of political leaders.

“Governor Ademola Adeleke is an inspirational leader who combines character, humility and excellence, and I believe our new generation of leaders have a lot to learn from him,” Olajengbesi declared.

According to him, former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola was the only former governor he understood was unable to take Adeleke’s call.

Olajengbesi, however, cautioned against reading political meaning into Oyetola’s inability to answer the call, saying there could be several reasons for it.

“I understand that only former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola was unable to take the Governor’s call. This could have been for any number of reasons,” he opined.

And, urged political actors and their supporters to recognise that the election had generated political wounds and emotions that might require time to heal.

The federal house of representatives candidate said the priority should be to allow reconciliation to take place while ensuring that political disagreements did not become permanent divisions among the people and leaders of the state.

“The most important lesson here is that politics must never become a do-or-die affair,” Olajengbesi stressed.

He noted that political leaders who oppose one another during election campaigns could eventually sit together, communicate and reconcile their differences.

“The leaders we fight ourselves over today will eventually sit together, speak to one another and reconcile their differences,” he insisted.

Olajengbesi therefore appealed to supporters of the various political camps to defend their political choices passionately without turning opponents into permanent enemies.

“Support your political choices passionately, but never make another person your permanent enemy because of politics,” he advised.

He said Adeleke’s reported outreach after the election underscored the need for political competition to give way to cooperation once the contest was over, with the development and unity of Osun remaining the ultimate priority.