“I hereby reaffirm my earlier endorsement of him for a second term in the 2027 presidential election,” he declared. He also called Tinubu “a son of Osun State.” He thanked the President for a congratulatory phone call. Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas. That margin gave his endorsement real political weight.
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I must deeply appreciate the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for a free and fair election…I hereby reaffirm my earlier endorsement of him for a second term in the 2027 presidential election
-Governor Ademola Adeleke #CTVTweets pic.twitter.com/SfPNkBSZnp
— Channels Television (@channelstv) August 16, 2026
Adeleke’s political journey adds an unusual layer to this story. He contested and won on the Accord Party platform. He defected from the PDP ahead of the election. Accord isn’t fielding a presidential candidate. So his backing of Tinubu, an APC man, cuts across party lines. Still, the governor has held this position since before Saturday’s poll.
Adeleke also extended an olive branch to his closest rival. Bola Oyebamiji of the APC polled 444,815 votes against his 511,067. “This is no victor, no vanquished,” Adeleke said. He added that he expects Oyebamiji to call and congratulate him “as a civilised person” would. Voters cast nearly one million ballots across the state. That number reflects a keenly contested race.
The governor didn’t stop at thanking Tinubu for the process. He also acknowledged a personal call from the President. Tinubu congratulated him shortly after officials confirmed the win. “Mr President has called me and he has congratulated me, and I thank you, Mr President, for making sure democracy lives on, because you fought for it,” Adeleke said. Clearly, this exchange signals warmer ties between the two men, despite their party differences.
Adeleke’s renewed endorsement lands at a sensitive time. Political parties across Nigeria have already begun jostling for position. Endorsements from sitting governors carry real weight in this climate. Osun sits in the South-West, Tinubu’s home region. So Adeleke’s backing reinforces the President’s support base there, even though he sits outside the APC.
Analysts will likely read this endorsement through a wider lens. Adeleke once belonged to the PDP, a party now positioning itself against Tinubu. So his continued support stands out. Still, the governor offers a simple explanation each time the topic comes up. He points to Tinubu’s Osun roots. He also points to the President’s role in a credible election. Personal conviction, not party strategy, appears to drive his position.
Opposition figures in Osun haven’t challenged Adeleke’s remarks yet. National party leaders may respond in the coming days. Results came in from all 30 local government areas. Few dispute the legitimacy of Adeleke’s mandate. That legitimacy lends extra weight to his political statements, including this fresh vote of confidence in the President.
Sunday’s press conference did more than celebrate a governorship win. It also cemented a political alliance built months earlier. Adeleke chose to restate his support publicly rather than let it fade. That choice suggests he plans to stay a visible ally through 2027. Whether it wins him broader support among Osun voters remains unclear. For now, though, the governor has made his position unmistakably clear.
The endorsement also carries weight beyond Osun’s borders. Governors rarely cross party lines this openly, especially so early in an election cycle. Adeleke’s move, therefore, sets a marker other state leaders may watch closely. Some could follow his lead. Others may distance themselves as their own parties sharpen their 2027 strategies. Either way, Sunday’s remarks have added fresh momentum to a conversation that started long before this weekend’s vote and will likely continue well past it.
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