Adeleke Reaffirms Endorsement After Re-election
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has reaffirmed his endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term in the 2027 presidential election, describing the President as “a son of Osun State.” Adeleke made the declaration while delivering his acceptance remarks after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him winner of the Osun governorship election, which secured him a second term in office.
“At this point, I must deeply appreciate the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his strong support for a free and fair election,” Adeleke said, as reported by LEADERSHIP Newspapers. “Mr President is a son of Osun State, and I hereby reaffirm my earlier endorsement of him for a second term in the 2027 presidential election.”
Election Results and Aftermath
INEC declared Adeleke the winner in the early hours of Sunday at the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo. The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwale, said Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who secured 444,815 votes. The candidate of the African Democratic Party (ADP), Dr Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
According to Ogunwale, the state had 2,339,544 registered voters, with 1,010,684 accredited for the election. Of these, 985,223 votes were valid, 25,147 votes were rejected, and total ballots cast stood at 1,010,370. Ogunwale noted that Adeleke satisfied legal requirements by scoring the highest number of votes and securing a two-thirds majority in two-thirds of the 30 local government areas.
Adeleke’s victory attracted congratulatory messages from President Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Peter Obi, and Bukola Saraki, as reported by LEADERSHIP.
Campaign Council Addresses Defection Rumors
Following Adeleke’s visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, during which he presented his certificate of return to President Tinubu and held a closed-door meeting, speculation emerged that the governor might defect from the Accord Party to the APC. The Imole Campaign Council, Adeleke’s campaign organization, dismissed such speculation in a statement signed by its Chairman of Media and Publicity Committee, Bamidele Salam, on Friday.
According to Premium Times Nigeria, the council said Adeleke’s visit was in line with customs and political tradition at the conclusion of off-cycle elections. “The Imole Campaign Council wishes to state that the visit by Osun State Governor, Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke to His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday is in line with customs and political tradition at the conclusion of off-cycle elections in Nigeria,” Salam said.
He emphasized that Adeleke, having emerged victorious, had a responsibility to show respect and appreciation to the President, particularly given Tinubu’s role as Commander-Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The council noted that Tinubu had repeatedly called on the electoral umpire and security agencies to ensure a free and fair election, and that the meeting provided an opportunity to di iscuss peace security and development in Osun State. Salam emphatically rejected reports linking the visit to any defection position, stating that it had “absolutely nothing to do with a plan to move from Accord to APC,” and that the issue of joining the APC did not arise during the meeting.
Adeleke was accompanied by Lere Osuwulu, Sunday Bisi, Kazeem Akinleye, and Bamidele Salam, according to Premium Times.
Perspectives
Adeleke's Camp
Governor Adeleke’s camp, through the Imole Campaign Council, maintained that the visit was a customary political courtesy after winning election, and firmly denied any intention to defect to the APC. They emphasized the President’s role in ensuring a free and fair election, while highlighting the governor’s focus on Osun’s developmental challenges.