Adeleke, Osun PDP endorse Tinubu’s 2027 bid

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership in the state have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in the 2027 general election. The endorsement was contained in a communiqué issued on Tuesday after a meeting of the PDP leadership caucus held at the Government House in Osogbo. […]

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership in the state have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in the 2027 general election.

The endorsement was contained in a communiqué issued on Tuesday after a meeting of the PDP leadership caucus held at the Government House in Osogbo.

According to the communiqué, the decision followed weeks of consultations with traditional rulers, community leaders, civil servants, retirees, religious leaders, market unions, and grassroots party members across the state.

“All politics is local, and as such, the feelings and aspirations of voters and party members are critical to decisions on party affiliations,” the statement read.

It continued: “The PDP in Osun State recognises the fact that Osun State is the ancestral home of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which makes the president a son of the state. Therefore, the PDP in Osun State hereby adopts and endorses President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in the 2027 presidential election.”

Former governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who heads the PDP National Reconciliation Committee, was among those in attendance at the meeting, alongside the state deputy governor, Prince Kola Adewusi; Deputy Minority Leader of the 10th Senate, Senator Lere Oyewumi, and several other party leaders.

The endorsement comes ahead of the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Thursday, where the party is expected to embark on a round of internal restructuring following a spate of high-profile defections. The meeting is also expected to deliberate on the zoning committee report and preparations for the upcoming national convention.

In the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu lost Osun State to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the PDP candidate, by fewer than 11,000 votes. Tinubu polled 342,941 votes, while Atiku garnered 353,860.

For weeks, speculation had mounted over Adeleke’s possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), with reports suggesting he made several unsuccessful attempts to meet the president to seek his endorsement for the switch. In the lead-up to the rumoured defection, two senators from the state—Olubiyi Fadeyi and Francis Fadahunsi—resigned their membership of the PDP, while the member representing Ife Federal Constituency, Taofeek Ajilesoro, reportedly dumped the party on Tuesday.

Although none of the lawmakers has publicly declared their next political destination, analysts believe their exits are part of broader groundwork for Adeleke’s anticipated move. This came after several top PDP figures pledged to follow the governor to any political platform of his choosing.

However, in a shift from previous signals, Adeleke and the Osun PDP leadership declared on Monday that they would remain in the PDP, citing perceived hostility from APC members as a key reason.

The communiqué stated that “the majority of members of the APC in Osun State are opposed to the idea of Governor Adeleke defecting to their party—a move which did not originate from the governor in the first place. Some APC leaders, due to entrenched interests, have shown hostility and resentment towards Governor Ademola Adeleke. Several took to social media and national television to hurl unprintable insults at the governor.”

It added, “The majority of PDP members in Osun are not happy about the idea of Governor Adeleke defecting to the APC. They only reluctantly agreed to follow him to show their love, support and loyalty to his leadership.”

Given the prevailing sentiment, the PDP resolved that “The PDP in Osun State reaffirms its adoption and endorsement of Governor Ademola Adeleke for re-election in the 2026 governorship election on the platform of the PDP.”

It also resolved that “Governor Ademola Adeleke and all members of the PDP in Osun State should remain in the PDP.”

The party also urged the governor to stay focused on delivering his administration’s five-point agenda and pledged continued support for his re-election bid.

Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Osun APC were unsuccessful as of press time. The party’s spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, said a comprehensive response would be issued on Wednesday.