Tinubu Receives Re-Elected Adeleke at Presidential Villa as APC Defection Speculation Returns
ISSN: 2354-4481
By Osigwe Oscar Chima
ABUJA — August 20, 2026: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday received re-elected Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, days after the governor secured a fresh four-year mandate in the state governorship election.
Adeleke, who contested the August 15 election on the platform of the Accord Party, was accompanied by other party chieftains during the visit. He also presented his Certificate of Return to President Tinubu during the meeting.
The meeting, held at the Presidential Villa, came shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) formally returned Adeleke as winner of the keenly contested election.
INEC declared Adeleke winner after he secured 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salaam came third with 17,180 votes.
The visit is being closely watched within political circles because of the increasingly significant relationship between Adeleke and President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Although Adeleke remains an Accord Party governor, he and the Accord leadership had earlier adopted President Tinubu as their preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential election. That position has already generated considerable political discussion, particularly because Tinubu is the candidate of the ruling APC.
Background to Adeleke's Political Realignment
Adeleke was elected governor of Osun State in 2022 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). However, amid internal disagreements within the party, he later left the PDP and joined Accord, under which he successfully sought re-election.
His decision to move to Accord was preceded by reports of discussions about a possible move to the APC. In the months before the election, political actors in Osun repeatedly discussed the possibility of Adeleke joining the ruling party.
Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, had claimed before the election that President Tinubu had asked Adeleke to join the APC before the governor eventually moved to Accord. The claim, however, was not independently established.
The speculation resurfaced after Adeleke's victory and Thursday's visit to the Presidential Villa.
Analysts Watch for Possible APC Move
Political analysts say Adeleke's renewed engagement with Tinubu could become an important factor in the political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections.
Some analysts argue that Adeleke's open support for Tinubu, combined with his cordial relationship with the President and the political significance of Osun, could eventually create conditions for a future alignment with the APC.
Others, however, caution against interpreting the presidential visit as evidence of an impending defection.
Their argument is strengthened by Adeleke's own recent position. Shortly after winning the Osun election, he reportedly said he was not considering joining the APC at the moment, indicating that such a move was not part of his immediate political plans.
The possibility nevertheless remains a subject of political speculation, especially as Nigeria's political parties begin positioning themselves for the 2027 general elections.
The relationship between Tinubu and Adeleke has also attracted attention because the President publicly congratulated the governor after his victory, describing the result as a reflection of the will of the people and urging Adeleke to unite the people of Osun for growth, stability and socio-economic development.
For now, Adeleke remains an Accord Party governor, while Tinubu remains the leader of the APC. Thursday's meeting, therefore, may be viewed primarily as a post-election engagement between the President and a re-elected state governor.
However, with the 2027 political contest already gathering momentum, the possibility of further political realignment involving Adeleke is expected to remain a major subject of discussion in Osun and beyond.
