Despite denying plans to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, Governor Ademola Adeleke has been appointed to coordinate President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the state.
The development comes amid political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Adeleke’s role in Tinubu’s re-election campaign raising questions about how the governor intends to reconcile his support for the President with his party’s plans to field candidates for the three senatorial districts, the House of Representatives seats and the Osun State House of Assembly.
Senator Francis Fadahunsi of the APC, who represents Osun East, is seeking re-election, alongside Senator Fadayi Ajagunla of the PDP in Osun Central and Senator Lere Oyewumi of the Accord Party in Osun West.
Adeleke had earlier dismissed speculation that he would defect to the APC, maintaining his membership of the Accord Party despite his support for Tinubu’s re-election.
However, the Senior Special Assistant to the Osun State Governor on Medla, Oladele Bamiji, described the move as a strategic decision rooted in Yoruba political interests, while expressing confidence that Accord Party candidates will win the state’s legislative elections in 2027.
Bamiji said the governor’s support for Tinubu would not undermine Accord Party’s identity or electoral prospects, insisting that the party remained committed to delivering victory for its candidates in the January and February 2027 elections.
Speaking on the political development, Bamiji said Adeleke’s position was informed by the need to support a Yoruba leader occupying the nation’s highest political office, particularly at a time when political power had shifted to the Southwest.
He described consultations and political engagement as essential elements of electoral success, expressing confidence that the governor’s relationship with the electorate would help the party navigate the political arrangement.
He maintained that the governor would continue to discharge his responsibilities to the people of Osun while intensifying consultations with political stakeholders ahead of the elections
He argued that voters in Osun were politically aware enough to distinguish between the presidential election and contests for legislative positions.
Bamiji expressed confidence that the arrangement would strengthen rather than weaken Accord Party, insisting that the party’s candidates would emerge victorious in Osun in January and February 2027.
According to him, “Our issue in Osun is very peculiar and significant. What our leader, Governor Ademola Adeleke, has instructed is in line with the ancestral history of Mr President, not just as a Yoruba man but as someone with ancestral ties to Osun State.
“We have had the turn of the North recently, and now it is the turn of the Southwest. For us, it is only reasonable to support one of our own, who has a wealth of age and experience, and who is carrying the flag of the Yoruba race at the national level. That is the primary reason for the support we have given Mr President.
“As for our candidates, that is a bridge we will cross when we get to it. I can assure you that we will cross it successfully, and nothing will hinder the success of our candidates in the coming elections, particularly the National Assembly elections and the State House of Assembly elections.
“As the Yoruba saying goes, we will cross that bridge when we get to it. I can assure you, and you can write this down, that I have made this promise to media organisations in Osun State and beyond: all our candidates in Osun State will emerge victorious in January and February next year, by the grace of God.
“Our support for Mr President, who is one of our own, does not diminish our identity as members of the Accord Party. It does not change the fact that Governor Ademola Jackson Adeleke is the leader of the Accord Party in Osun State, and does not prevent the governor from continuing to deliver on his responsibilities to the people of the state.
“They are two different things, and we are going to meet at the middle point. By the grace of God, our candidates will win in January and February, while Mr President will also emerge victorious, not just in Osun State but across the country,” he said.
