Why I Will Back Tinubu in 2027 Despite No Agreement — Adeleke
Re-elected Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has denied reaching any agreement with President Bola Tinubu over his support for the President’s bid for a second term in 2027.
Adeleke said his decision to support Tinubu was based on the fact that the President is a Yoruba man from the South-West, adding that he wanted to encourage him to continue his development projects in the region.
The governor spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
President Tinubu and Governor Adeleke have maintained a cordial relationship despite belonging to rival political parties, with Adeleke making high-profile visits to Tinubu and the President engaging with the Osun governor.
Following his re-election, Adeleke reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. The declaration, however, drew criticism from some social media users, who described the alliance as contradictory.
Adeleke was asked on the programme whether his earlier declaration of support for Tinubu was based on a political or personal agreement, particularly after the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said, “Agreement is agreement.”
The two-term governor, however, said, “No, I never reached agreement with Mr President. My support is just based on, he’s a Yoruba man, and he’s from the South-West, and I believe that all the federal roads that he has started, I want to encourage him not to forget the South-West too because all our federal roads lead to other regions.
“And I feel like, well, since a Yoruba man has won the first term, maybe we should give him another chance to develop his reforms.”
Asked whether he would support Tinubu “all out” in the 2027 presidential election, Adeleke replied, “Big time, I will.”
The governor also said he was willing to work with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including his defeated opponent, Bola Oyebamiji, and former governor Gboyega Oyetola, in support of Tinubu.
“Well, as long as it’s … I’m doing it for Mr President. So I wouldn’t mind; I will work with them,” he said.
Adeleke added that he would support Tinubu in whatever capacity the President required when the 2027 campaign begins.
“Whenever Mr President, when it’s time for him to campaign and all that, whatever how he wants me to come in, I will do it,” he said.
His comments came after Keyamo thanked Adeleke for publicly reaffirming his support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
In a post on X, Keyamo described Adeleke as “a man of integrity and honour” and said, “Thank you, Governor Ademola Adeleke, for the public and unequivocal endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 Presidential Election.”
“You are a man of integrity and honour. ‘Agreement is agreement.’”
Adeleke secured re-election in Saturday’s Osun governorship election with 511,067 votes, defeating the APC’s Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. ADC candidate Najeem Salaam came third with 17,180 votes.
The governor won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.
