Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have formally declared their support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Governor Adeleke made the announcement on Tuesday via a statement posted on his official X handle, following a strategic meeting with the PDP leadership caucus in Osogbo.
The declaration follows months of speculation about Adeleke’s political future, with widespread rumours suggesting a potential defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu’s party, a move he and his media aides initially dismissed as ‘fake news’.
NewsClick Nigeria reports that Adeleke, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), came into office in 2022 after defeating then-incumbent and predecessor, former Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the APC. His tenure expires in 2026.
But impeccable sources in the presidency and the Osun APC spilled that indeed, Adeleke was making desperate moves to join the party owing to the unending crisis tearing the PDP at the centre, coupled with the recent high-profile defections from the party to other parties.
According to them, the Governor and his team mishandled the defection that could have seen him emerge as the party’s flag bearer. They noted that rather than approach the issue from his home state (Osun APC), Adeleke was busy seeking assistance from APC governors, particularly those from the South West.
A presidential source told NewsClick Nigeria that the Osun Governor’s defection case was yet to be tabled at the presidency. “I think some smart Alecs possibly at the villa or even at the National headquarters of APC in Abuja are giving him fake assurance that all is well with his planned move to the APC. Adelekes’s efforts to decamp is not and were never on the table in the Presidency,” he asserted.
However, Adeleke on Tuesday said he will seek re-election on the platform of the PDP and the state chapter of the party will also support President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“Yesterday, I met with the @OfficialPDPNig Leadership Caucus in Osogbo after weeks of consultations with stakeholders across Osun — from traditional rulers and civil servants to market leaders and grassroots party members,” he wrote.
“I remain in the PDP, the party that gave me the platform to serve the good people of Osun. I have been unanimously endorsed by the Osun PDP for a second term in 2026.
“Our party in Osun has also endorsed President Tinubu for re-election in 2027, recognising him as a proud son of our state. PDP remains the most popular and trusted party across Osun State. I will continue to deliver on our Five-Point Agenda with renewed focus and dedication.”