Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has announced a ₦500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund and automatic scholarships for children and dependants of persons who lost their lives in the build-up to the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

Adeleke announced the measures on Wednesday at a celebration rally organised by the Osun labour movement at the state secretariat, shortly after receiving his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The governor said the Adeleke family, through the Springtime Development Foundation, would provide automatic scholarships up to university level for children and dependants of those killed during the electoral process.

“As part of our commitment to supporting affected families, the Adeleke family, through the Springtime Development Foundation, will provide automatic scholarships up to university level for the children and dependants of those who lost their lives,” he said.

He said the state government would also establish the ₦500 million endowment fund to provide relief and support to verified victims and families affected by electoral violence.

According to him, a Verification and Relief Committee, chaired by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, would oversee the transparent identification and assessment of victims, as well as the equitable distribution of relief.

“This is not a political fund. It is a humanitarian intervention. No eligible victim will be discriminated against on the basis of political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender or social status,” Adeleke said.

The governor urged the people of Osun to remember those who suffered injuries, lost property and livelihoods, or died during the electoral process, despite the celebrations surrounding his victory.

Earlier, while receiving his Certificate of Return, Adeleke said the document belonged to the people of Osun State.

He danced amid cheers from supporters and declared that he had forgiven those who may have offended him during the election, stressing that he bore no grudge against his political opponents.

“God has fought my battles for me, and so I hold unto God throughout the duration of the political war and now that I have been re-elected,” he said.

Describing the presentation as a moment of gratitude and reflection, Adeleke said the certificate represented the renewed confidence of Osun voters in democracy.

“This certificate does not belong to Ademola Adeleke alone. It belongs to the people of Osun State, the market men and women, workers, youths, traditional and religious leaders, and every citizen who demonstrated that our democracy cannot be intimidated, purchased or suppressed,” he said.

Adeleke commended INEC for what he described as its professional conduct and adherence to the Electoral Act, while also acknowledging the role of security agencies during the election.

“I commend the electoral commission for doing a good job. You stood for democracy. I commend the security agencies, especially the Commissioner of Police for the election; the DSS. I would have loved the police to do more, but we thank God the election day went violence-free,” he added.

The governor later visited the Ataoja Palace in Osogbo, where he commiserated with families of people killed or injured during the electoral process.

He specifically remembered Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass and Kolade Eluyera, among others, whose lives were lost or permanently affected by the violence.

“To their families, I say: your pain has not been forgotten, and your loved ones will never be reduced to statistics,” Adeleke said.

He subsequently visited the Ataoja of Osogbo, the Timi of Ede and Senator Oluwole Alabi to present his Certificate of Return and seek their royal blessings.

Earlier, INEC National Commissioner for the Osun election, Kunle Ajayi, commended voters across the state for defying concerns over electoral violence and turning out to exercise their franchise.

INEC declared Adeleke winner of the August 15 governorship election after he secured 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.

Adeleke won 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured 11, giving the incumbent governor a second four-year term.