Adeleke, Osun PDP Endorses Tinubu For 2027, Sparks Backlash From ADC

Governor Ademola Adeleke, backed by key Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts including former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has openly endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in the 2027 presidential election.

The endorsement was made public via a communiqué issued after a high-level PDP stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo on Tuesday. The meeting reaffirmed Adeleke’s commitment to remaining in the PDP, effectively quelling months of speculation about his possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The PDP in Osun State recognises the fact that Osun State is the ancestral home of President Bola Tinubu, which makes the President the son of Osun State. Therefore, the PDP in Osun State hereby adopts and endorses President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in the 2027 presidential election,” the communiqué read in part.

The decision, however, has triggered a fierce response from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with its Osun chairman, Charles Omidiji, accusing Governor Adeleke of political double-speak. Omidiji declared that Adeleke’s refusal to join the APC would not shield him from electoral defeat in 2026.

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“If he doesn’t join the APC again, it will only reduce the margin of the loss awaiting him at the poll,” Omidiji said. “If he had defected, that would have been the end of both the APC and PDP in Osun. But whatever happens, ADC will produce the next Osun governor.”

Omidiji’s confidence stems from ADC’s recent internal restructuring, led by former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who now serves as the party’s Interim National Secretary.

Tuesday’s meeting, attended by prominent PDP figures including Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi, Senator Lere Oyewumi (Osun East), state party chairman Sunday Bisi, and former PDP National Secretary Prof. Wale Oladipo, also endorsed Adeleke for a second term as governor in 2026.

The communiqué also clarified the reasons behind Adeleke’s decision not to defect to the APC, citing internal opposition within the APC ranks. “Some APC leaders, based on entrenched interests, have demonstrated hostility and resentment towards Governor Ademola Adeleke,” the statement noted.

While the endorsement of a sitting APC president by PDP leaders may appear unconventional, party loyalists say it reflects political pragmatism in a changing landscape.

With the 2026 Osun governorship and 2027 presidential elections looming, observers say the state’s political theatre is only beginning to heat up.