Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday visited President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to thank him for what he described as the President’s commitment to upholding democracy and ensuring a free and fair governorship election in the state.

Adeleke, who secured a second term in office in the August 15 governorship election, arrived at the State House at about 5:20 p.m. and was driven through the forecourt route directly to the President’s Office, where he held a closed-door meeting with Tinubu.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Adeleke said his visit was principally to appreciate the President for allowing the electoral process to proceed freely.

“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 said.

“That is why I’m here, to say thank you to ensure that democracy lives in Nigeria,” he added.

The governor’s visit came barely days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him winner of the keenly contested Osun election.

Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 444,815 votes.

He won by a margin of 66,252 votes, securing victory in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won in 11.

The outcome consolidated Adeleke’s hold on the state and marked another significant development in Osun’s evolving political landscape, particularly following his decision to contest under the Accord platform after the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backed his re-election bid.

Adeleke’s meeting with Tinubu also comes against the backdrop of increasing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections and growing engagements between the President and political actors across the country.

Although details of the closed-door discussions were not made public, Adeleke’s comments indicated that the conduct of the Osun election and the broader imperative of sustaining democratic governance were central to his visit.

The governor’s decision to personally thank the President also underscores the political significance he attaches to the conduct of the election and the role of federal authorities in providing an environment for the electoral process to take place.