Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Friday began a fresh push to heal political divisions in the state, reaching out to former governors and major contenders in the August 15 governorship election as part of efforts to restore political dialogue after a fiercely contested electoral season.
The governor’s latest initiative, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, saw him engage former governor and former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, in a discussion centred on the need to rebuild bridges among the state’s political elite.
The statement stressed that Adeleke used the 35th anniversary of Osun State as an opportunity to seek the support of his predecessors and other political stakeholders for a broader reconciliation process.
The outreach also extended to former governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Rauf Aregbesola, with whom Adeleke discussed his administration’s peace efforts.
The governor congratulated the former leaders on the anniversary of the state while seeking their backing for an initiative aimed at reducing political tension and encouraging cooperation across party lines.
Adeleke’s overtures also included former governor Gboyega Oyetola and the APC governorship candidate in the last election, Bola Oyebamiji.
The governor said he placed calls to both men, although neither responded as of the time of filing the report. Their inclusion in the outreach underscores the administration’s stated intention to extend the reconciliation process beyond its immediate political allies.
The latest move comes against the backdrop of a politically charged election season during which Osun witnessed intense partisan mobilisation and incidents of violence.
Adeleke has repeatedly argued that the conclusion of the election should mark the beginning of a healing process rather than the continuation of political confrontation, insisting that governance must now take precedence over electoral rivalry.
Speaking on the rationale for his outreach, the governor said the 35th anniversary celebration offered him an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of political leaders from different tendencies while simultaneously appealing for peace.
He maintained that the state’s political class had a responsibility to prevent electoral disagreements from permanently damaging relationships or undermining development.
Adeleke also linked the reconciliation initiative to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appeal that he should champion peace-building in Osun.
According to him, his administration’s objective is to create an atmosphere in which political differences can be managed through dialogue and where the people, rather than partisan interests, remain the primary beneficiaries of democracy.
The governor’s renewed engagement with former leaders could therefore mark an important test of Osun’s ability to move beyond the sharp divisions associated with the election.
While the response of some of the political actors he has contacted remains awaited, Adeleke said he would continue the peace initiative, declaring that there was “no victor, no vanquished” and that the state’s collective interest must now guide political engagement and governance.
