Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has renewed his support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027. Adeleke described Tinubu as a son of Osun while speaking at a press conference on Sunday, shortly after his victory in the August 15 governorship election was formally declared. The governor also praised the President for supporting what he described as a free, fair and credible electoral process in the state.
Adeleke expressed appreciation to Tinubu for his role before and during the governorship election.
“At this point, I must deeply appreciate Mr. President, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his strong support for a free and fair election,” Adeleke said.
He added that Tinubu’s connection to the state was another reason for his continued support.
“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,” he said.
Adeleke had previously declared his support for Tinubu’s 2027 ambition while he was still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party. He later defected to the Accord Party before contesting the 2026 Osun governorship election.
The State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, declared Adeleke the winner at about 7:24 am on Sunday. The Accord Party candidate secured 511,067 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, who polled 444,815 votes.
Adeleke carried 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11. The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes. The victory gives Adeleke another four-year mandate after he first won the governorship in 2022 under the PDP.
Speaking earlier on Sunday, Adeleke thanked Tinubu for personally calling to congratulate him following the election result. He also said he expected Oyebamiji to acknowledge the outcome and congratulate him.
“Yes. This is no victor, no vanquished. I want them to come over. I am expecting Oyebamiji to even, as a civilised person, to call me and congratulate me,” Adeleke said.
The governor again credited Tinubu with helping to sustain democratic values during the election.
“And of course, I want to seize this opportunity to thank Mr. President. Mr. President has called me and he has congratulated me,” he said.
Adeleke further thanked Tinubu for what he described as his contribution to ensuring that democracy remained strong.
“And I thank you, Mr. President, for making sure democracy lives on, because you fought for it, Mr. President,” he added.
With the Osun election concluded, Adeleke now begins another term in office while his renewed endorsement of Tinubu adds another political dimension to preparations for the 2027 presidential contest.
