Adeleke Endorses Tinubu for 2027 Immediately After Winning Osun — Here's Why It Matters

If you thought the drama of the Osun 2026 governorship election ended when INEC declared Governor Ademola Adeleke the winner, think again. The real drama? It just started. Less than 48 hours after securing his second term in office with a commanding 511,067 votes, Governor Ademola Adeleke did something that has set Nigerian social media on fire: he publicly endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in 2027. And his reason? It's the kind of statement that only Nigerian politics can produce. The governor said his support for the President is not based on any agreement reached with the Federal Government, but partly because "the President is a Yoruba man." Yes. He said that. Out loud. On record. Now, before you pick up your phone and start typing an angry comment, let's slow down and actually unpack what's happening here. Because this story is about much more than one governor endorsing one president. This is about the future of Nigerian politics, the collapse of the PDP in the South-West, the realignment of power ahead of 2027, and the quiet deals that shape who rules this country. Let's break it all down. The Timeline: From PDP Governor to Tinubu Ally in 18 Months To understand why this endorsement is so significant, you need to understand the journey. In July 2022, Ademola Adeleke won the Osun State governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It was a massive victory — the PDP had snatched Osun from APC's Gboyega Oyetola. The "Dancing Governor" was born, and PDP celebrated. Fast forward to December 2025. Adeleke shocked the political world by defecting from the PDP to the Accord Party. He left the party that brought him to power. Many people thought he was committing political suicide. "We opted for the Accord Party because its mission of welfarism aligns with our passionate focus on citizens' and workers' welfare," the governor said when announcing his defection. But was it really about "welfarism"? Or was something else going on behind the scenes? Then came August 15, 2026. The Osun governorship election. Adeleke didn't just win — he dominated. He polled 511,067 votes to APC's Bola Oyebamiji's 444,815 votes. He won 19 out of 30 local government areas. And here's what's interesting: the APC candidate didn't seem to fight as hard as you'd expect the ruling national party to fight. The campaign was relatively tame. The usual APC machinery — federal might, security apparatus pressure, last-minute cash blitz — was noticeably subdued. Almost as if... they didn't really want to win. Then, barely two days after his victory, Adeleke endorses Tinubu for 2027. And suddenly, the pieces start falling into place. The Federal Response: "A Man of Integrity and Honour" The speed of the Federal Government's response told its own story. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, thanked Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, for publicly reaffirming his support for President Bola Tinubu's bid for re-e