Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke says he will work to deliver the state’s votes to President Bola Tinubu, despite remaining outside the APC

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke on Sunday, August 30, 2026, in Osogbo, again pledged his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid during a meeting with All Progressives Congress National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, saying he would work to deliver the state’s votes to the President.

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The renewed pledge came less than three weeks after Adeleke secured a second term as governor, defeating the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in the August 15 governorship election.

The development adds another striking layer to the political relationship between a governor outside the ruling APC and a President seeking a second term. (Punch Newspapers)

Adeleke, who has repeatedly maintained his support for Tinubu while remaining outside the APC, told Basiru that his commitment was genuine and not an empty political promise.

“I don’t make empty promises. When I said we will deliver Osun State votes to our dear father, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I meant it 100 per cent,” Adeleke said. (Punch Newspapers)

The governor also appealed to politicians across Osun to place unity and integrity above partisan differences, urging them to work together in the interest of the state.

“Politics must be with integrity. We are all from Osun State. Let’s forget our differences and work for the President,” he said. (Punch Newspapers)

Basiru’s visit carried an unusual political symbolism.

The APC national secretary had campaigned against Adeleke during the recent governorship election and supported Oyebamiji, yet he visited the governor after the result to congratulate him and discuss support for Tinubu’s 2027 campaign.

Basiru acknowledged that he had wanted Oyebamiji to win but said democratic principles required him to accept Adeleke’s victory.

“I must also come as a Democrat to congratulate you, and I must say that I did not want you to win.

In fact, I wanted Bola Oyebamiji to win that election,” Basiru said. He added that the outcome demonstrated the importance of accepting the verdict of voters in a democratic contest. (osun.life)

The APC secretary also pointed to Adeleke’s earlier endorsement of Tinubu and said there had been expectations that the governor might reconsider his position after securing another term.

“The re-election of President Tinubu is very crucial to me as a party administrator,” Basiru said, adding that he hoped Adeleke would help the APC secure victory in Osun. (osun.life)

A support position that predates the latest meeting

Adeleke Tinubu support is not a new development. The governor first drew significant attention with his endorsement of Tinubu in 2025, when the Osun PDP caucus also adopted the President for the 2027 election while asking Adeleke to remain in the PDP and pursue his own second-term bid. (Premium Times Nigeria)

In March 2026, Adeleke again described Tinubu as a leader of the South-West and reaffirmed his backing for a second presidential term.

The governor said at the time that his disagreement with APC figures in Osun should not be confused with his relationship with the President. (Osun State Official Website)

Adeleke subsequently gave a more detailed explanation of his position in an August 16 interview with Channels Television, saying his support was not the result of a political agreement with Tinubu.

“No, I never reached agreement with Mr President,” Adeleke said, explaining that he wanted to support Tinubu because he is a Yoruba man from the South-West and because the governor believed the President should be encouraged to continue development projects in the region. (Channel Television)

Asked whether he would campaign actively for Tinubu, Adeleke gave an emphatic response: “Big time, I will.”

He also said he would be willing to work with APC figures, including former Osun governor Gboyega Oyetola, if that was required to support the President. (Punch Newspapers)

Adeleke has nevertheless rejected suggestions that his position represents a secret political bargain.

His campaign council previously said there was “no agreement” and maintained that the governor’s support was based on Tinubu’s performance and reforms rather than a pre-arranged deal. (Channel Television)

The political significance of the pledge is heightened by Osun’s electoral history. Tinubu lost the state in the 2023 presidential election, when Atiku Abubakar polled 354,366 votes against Tinubu’s 343,945. (Premium Times Nigeria)

Adeleke’s own victory in the August 15, 2026 governorship election also demonstrated the strength of his political base.

He secured 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815, winning 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas. (Channel Television)

That background makes the governor’s promise to deliver Osun for Tinubu a potentially consequential political commitment, although an endorsement by a governor does not automatically translate into the votes of an electorate.

For Adeleke, however, the message remains consistent. He has sought to separate his support for the President from party allegiance while presenting the relationship as one shaped by regional interest, development and political responsibility.

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With the 2027 presidential contest approaching, the renewed public pledge is likely to keep Adeleke’s political positioning under close scrutiny, particularly as voters and party structures begin to define their allegiances ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested election.