📌 Quick Summary: Minutes after INEC declared him the winner of the 2026 Osun governorship election, Governor Ademola Adeleke publicly endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election in the 2027 presidential election. Adeleke said: “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.” Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo immediately thanked Adeleke publicly and wrote “agreement is agreement.” The endorsement has triggered a political storm. Here is the full story, the political logic, and what it means for 2027.
The ink was barely dry on Adeleke’s certificate of return when he dropped a political bombshell that no one in his opposition support base expected — or wanted. On Sunday 16 August 2026, speaking to journalists after being declared winner of the Osun governorship election with 511,067 votes to the APC’s Oyebamiji’s 444,815, Governor Ademola Adeleke did something that stopped Nigerian political Twitter dead: he endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027. Not with ambiguity. Not with qualifications. Clearly, publicly, on camera. Adeleke said: “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.”
The reaction was immediate and fierce. Osun residents who had voted against Tinubu’s APC were particularly vocal in their disappointment — one commentator wrote: “Osun People stood against Tinubu and his APC team. 28 died and this is how you pay the people back.” And then Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo poured accelerant on the fire.
The “Agreement is Agreement” Moment That Lit the Internet
In a post on X, Minister Keyamo described Adeleke as “a man of integrity and honour” and wrote: “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.'”
Those three words — “Agreement is agreement” — ignited a separate firestorm. The remark triggered fresh debate over the political relationship between Adeleke and Tinubu, with some interpreting Keyamo’s words as a possible reference to an understanding between the two leaders. The implication was clear to Nigerian political observers: Keyamo was suggesting that Adeleke’s endorsement was not spontaneous political goodwill but the fulfilment of a prior deal — a deal that may have involved the handling of the Osun election itself.
Adeleke’s Explanation: Regional Solidarity, Not a Deal
Adeleke rejected suggestions that his endorsement was connected to any political understanding. In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, he said his decision to support Tinubu was based on his belief that the President, as a Yoruba man from the South-West, should be encouraged to continue development projects and reforms in the region. The governor said: “He represents the South West. I restate our endorsement of Mr President for re-election in the best interest of the South West.”
Adeleke’s campaign team issued a formal denial of any agreement: “The Imole Campaign Council has dismissed suggestions that the governor’s endorsement was tied to any political arrangement. The council said Adeleke’s support was informed by the administration’s economic reforms and performance in office, not by any prior understanding.”
His Special Adviser and Spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, appeared on Arise TV and pointed out that the endorsement was not new: “When Mr Governor was within the PDP, the endorsement was announced. When he crossed over to Accord, the endorsement was announced. So the whole world knows this.” The argument: this is not a post-election deal — it is a consistent position Adeleke has maintained across three different party affiliations.
Why This Is Politically Explosive: The Five Contradictions
Regardless of whether a formal deal exists, Adeleke’s endorsement creates five political contradictions that will follow him through his second term:
Contradiction 1 — Davido’s platform vs Tinubu support. Adeleke’s re-election campaign was amplified enormously by his nephew Davido’s social media platform and national celebrity advocacy. Davido’s audience skews young, anti-establishment, and broadly unsympathetic to the Tinubu administration. The governor who won with Davido’s energy is now endorsing the president that energy was often implicitly positioned against.
Contradiction 2 — Accord Party’s position. Adeleke won under the Accord Party banner — a party that positioned itself against both the APC and PDP. Accord’s leadership has not issued a collective endorsement of Tinubu. Adeleke’s personal endorsement puts him at odds with the ideological positioning of the vehicle that just won him re-election.
Contradiction 3 — The EFCC account freeze. The EFCC froze the Osun State government account ten days before the election — an action Adeleke’s camp characterised as politically motivated interference. Within 24 hours of winning, Adeleke is endorsing the president whose government the EFCC operates under. The political arithmetic here is difficult to explain without referencing something that was agreed before the election.
Contradiction 4 — His own voters’ position. Some of his supporters expressed disappointment, arguing that the governor’s endorsement appeared inconsistent with the political sentiments that shaped the Osun election, in which opposition forces united against the APC. A governor who wins with opposition votes and immediately endorses the ruling president risks alienating the constituency that just gave him his mandate.
Contradiction 5 — The 28 deaths. Political violence during the Osun election campaign resulted in reported fatalities. One commentator captured the raw anger: “28 died and this is how you pay the people back.” Whether the number is accurate or not, the perception that Adeleke is rewarding the political establishment that presided over election-related violence with a 2027 endorsement is a political narrative his opponents will weaponise relentlessly.
The Political Logic: Why Adeleke May Be Right
It is worth steelmanning Adeleke’s position — because the cynical reading, while emotionally satisfying, may not be the most politically accurate one. Nigerian governorship politics operates differently from national partisan battles. A governor’s primary obligation, in the Nigerian political framework, is to maximise federal resource flows to his state. A governor of any party who is openly hostile to the sitting president typically receives significantly less federal allocation, fewer federal projects, and more institutional friction than a governor who maintains a working relationship with the centre. Adeleke governs a state with significant infrastructure needs and a population that requires federal investment. His calculation — that an endorsement of Tinubu is worth more to Osun’s material development than the approval of opposition voters — may be crude but it is not irrational.
What This Means for 2027
Forces within the Presidency are expected to press Adeleke to honour his repeated pledge to support Tinubu’s re-election, while opposition parties are also reaching out to the governor, seeking to replicate what has been described as the “Osun template” in 2027. Adeleke now sits at the intersection of two competing pulls — the Tinubu camp that wants his active 2027 campaign participation, and the opposition coalition that sees the Accord Party’s Osun win as evidence that anti-APC sentiment can deliver results in Southwest states. How he navigates that tension over the next 18 months will define whether the Adeleke political brand strengthens or fragments heading into the next election cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Adeleke endorse Tinubu for 2027?
Yes. Governor Adeleke publicly endorsed President Tinubu for re-election in the 2027 presidential election immediately after winning the 2026 Osun governorship election, saying “I hereby reaffirm my earlier endorsement of him for a second term.”
Why did Adeleke endorse Tinubu?
Adeleke says his support is based on regional solidarity — he believes Tinubu, as a Yoruba man from the South-West, should be encouraged to continue federal development projects in the region. He denies any political deal in exchange for the endorsement.
What did Festus Keyamo mean by “agreement is agreement”?
Keyamo, Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, publicly thanked Adeleke for the endorsement and wrote “agreement is agreement” — a phrase widely interpreted as a reference to a prior political understanding between Adeleke and the Tinubu administration. Adeleke’s campaign team denied the existence of any such agreement.
Is Adeleke in the APC?
No. Adeleke won the 2026 Osun governorship election under the Accord Party banner. He previously won in 2022 under the PDP. His endorsement of Tinubu is a personal political position, not a party decision — Accord Party has not issued a collective endorsement of Tinubu.
How do Osun residents feel about Adeleke endorsing Tinubu?
The endorsement triggered strong reactions, particularly among Adeleke supporters who backed him against the APC. Many expressed disappointment, arguing the endorsement was inconsistent with the political sentiments that shaped the Osun election. His spokesperson urged residents not to feel betrayed.
Will Adeleke campaign for Tinubu in 2027?
Adeleke confirmed he is prepared to participate in Tinubu’s 2027 campaign in whatever capacity is needed, making him one of the few sitting governors outside the APC who has committed to active support for the incumbent president’s re-election.
Sources
- AllAfrica/Premium Times — “Adeleke Restates Commitment to Support Tinubu’s Re-Election.” allafrica.com — 17 August 2026
- Channels Television — “2027: I Never Reached Agreement With Tinubu — Adeleke.” channelstv.com — 16 August 2026
- Tribune Online — “Why I’m supporting Tinubu for re-election in 2027 — Adeleke.” tribuneonlineng.com — 17 August 2026
- The Whistler — “Presidency, Opposition Court Adeleke After Osun Victory.” thewhistler.ng — 17 August 2026
- Politics Nigeria — “Adeleke Under Fire After Declaring Support for Tinubu’s 2027 Re-election.” politicsnigeria.com — 17 August 2026
- Platform Times — “Adeleke Under Fire After Endorsing Tinubu For 2027.” platformtimes.com.ng — 17 August 2026
Last updated: 22 August 2026 · NaijaSabi Civic Desk.
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