Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has extended what he described as a “hand of fellowship” to hisAll Progressives Congress (APC) opponent, Bola Oyebamiji, pledging to pursue reconciliation and unite the state after a fiercely contested governorship election.

Adeleke, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Sunday, said the election was over and that he was now governor of the entire state and not merely of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The governor said he would set up a reconciliation committee to bring the people together, adding that even his political opponents would be invited to contribute ideas towards the development of Osun.

“I preach peace. Let us forget what has happened. Democracy is all about that. Once the election is over, I am now a governor for everybody, not for my party,” he said.

Adeleke, who defeated Oyebamiji in the August 15 governorship election, said he was ready to listen to his former opponent if he had ideas that could contribute to the development of the state.

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“I am extending my hand of fellowship. Come on down, talk to me. If you have any ideas, put them on the table. If the idea is good, I am going to utilise it,” he said.

He, however, maintained that the responsibility to initiate contact should ordinarily lie with Oyebamiji, as the governor had already been declared winner of the election.

“I am not the one that is supposed to reach out to him now because I am the one who won the election and I have been announced. If he wants to be civilised, he is the one that is supposed to call me and say, ‘Congratulations,’” Adeleke said.

In what could signal a significant shift in the political atmosphere in the state after the election, Adeleke also declared that he would be willing to work with Oyebamiji and former governor Gboyega Oyetola despite their membership of the APC.

The governor said his willingness to work with them was particularly linked to his support for President Bola Tinubu.

“As long as I am doing it for Mr President, I won’t mind. I will work with them,” he said.

Adeleke, however, ruled out returning to the APC, saying such a move was not currently on his agenda.

“As I’m talking to you, I’m not even thinking about that. It’s not on my agenda. But that doesn’t mean that I cannot support Mr President,” he said.

The governor also made a significant political declaration, saying he would support Tinubu for a second term in 2027.

Asked directly whether he would go “all out” for the President in the 2027 presidential election, Adeleke replied: “I will.”

He, however, dismissed suggestions that his support for Tinubu was the product of an agreement connected to the Osun governorship election.

“No, I never reached any agreement with Mr President,” Adeleke said.

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According to him, his support for Tinubu was based partly on the fact that the President is from the Southwest, while he also wants the Federal Government to continue paying attention to infrastructure development in the region.

“My support is just based on the fact that he is a Yoruba man and he is from the Southwest. And I believe that all the federal roads that he has started, I want to encourage him not to forget the Southwest too, because all our federal roads link us to other regions,” he said.

Adeleke also said Tinubu should be given another opportunity to consolidate his reforms.

The governor further disclosed that he had instructed the Attorney-General of the state to withdraw a legal matter involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), presenting the decision as part of his broader effort to move beyond the political battles surrounding the election.

“I’ve instructed my Attorney-General to drop it. Mr President has done well. He called me. What more do I want?” Adeleke said.

He also said the President’s personal engagement with him had helped to ease tensions.

Asked about allegations that some of his supporters were being held in custody, Adeleke said his lawyers had been directed to intervene.

He said the EFCC had previously invited some of his associates for questioning and maintained that his supporters had nothing to hide.

“I told my people, ‘We have got nothing to hide. We don’t have anything to hide. Go over there,’” he said, describing the continued questioning as “a distraction and intimidation.”

The governor, however, suggested that President Tinubu might not be aware of some of the actions being taken by federal agencies, stressing that the President had “a lot of work” to do.

Looking beyond the immediate political aftermath of the election, Adeleke said his major ambition for his second term was to transform Osun from what he described as a predominantly civil service state into an industrialised economy capable of attracting major investments.

He said the development of a free trade zone and the state’s industrialisation programme would be central to that ambition.

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“I am tired of hearing Osun State as a civil service state. I want to make sure I move it to an industrial state where investors will come in,” he said.

Adeleke also listed the completion of the state’s airport and expansion of infrastructure among his priorities, expressing confidence that the projects would be completed within his second term.

He claimed that an increasing number of people were already returning to the state and expressing interest in investing there.

He said his ultimate ambition was to make Osun a reference point for other states.

“I would like to be remembered that when Governor Ademola Adeleke came as a governor, he left a legacy of making Osun State a reference point that other states can look up to and say, ‘Look, go to Osun State, go and see how they do it,’” he said.

Responding to criticism that his public image as a dancing governor could overshadow his performance in office, Adeleke said dancing was simply his hobby and had no bearing on his ability to govern.

“My hobby is dancing. I have loved dancing right from when I was little, so that doesn’t stop me from doing my job. And my job speaks for itself,” he said.

He attributed his re-election to the confidence voters had developed in his administration after what he described as the fulfilment of his campaign promises.

“Of all the things that I promised them I would do, I kept my promises. I have been tested and trusted,” he said.

The governor also expressed concern over the violence and heightened political tension that preceded the election, saying Osun had traditionally been a peaceful state.

He said political disagreements should not be allowed to destroy the state’s social fabric and disclosed that he had instructed his supporters not to retaliate when campaign materials were destroyed.

“I’m a very peaceful person. I told my people that they should not retaliate. They destroyed my posters all over. I told my people not to touch their people. Just leave them alone,” he said.

According to him, political power ultimately comes from the people and not intimidation or violence.

“It is not people that will bring the vote. It is the people,” he said, pledging to continue preaching peace.

“I will keep on preaching peace so that everything can come back the way it used to be, so that Osun State can be peaceful. I’m sure they will listen. I lead by example.”

Asked about his description of himself as a “bulldozer” following his victory, Adeleke embraced the nickname, explaining it as a reference to his political strength.

“Call me Bulldozer. Don’t call me Demola. The Bulldozer. Imole the Bulldozer,” he said.

Explaining the expression, he said it reflected his ability to overcome political obstacles despite lacking the support structures enjoyed by some other governors.

“They were asking me a question that, ‘All these 20 governors are here, and you are the only governor. You don’t have anybody.’ I said, ‘You don’t know me. I’m a bulldozer,’” he said.

For Adeleke, however, the ultimate credit for his victory belongs not to his political strength but to God.

Asked whom he would thank for the election victory, the governor responded: “Almighty God.”

“I have a God that never fails. I praise Him all the time,” he said, attributing his victory to divine intervention despite what he described as opposition threats to deploy “federal might”.

“He is the God that did it for me in 2022. It is the same God, and He is still the same God today and forever. And He did it. So, I praise Him,” Adeleke said.