Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has said his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not based on any political agreement with the Federal Government, but is partly influenced by the President’s Yoruba identity and his development agenda.
Adeleke made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, while discussing his relationship with Tinubu and his position ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governor’s comments came after the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, congratulated him on his victory in the August 15 Osun governorship election.
Keyamo, in a post on X, described Adeleke as a man of integrity and honour, adding the statement: “Agreement is agreement.”
However, when asked whether he had reached any agreement with President Tinubu, Adeleke dismissed the suggestion.
“No, I did not reach an agreement with Mr President,” he said.
The Osun governor explained that his support for Tinubu was influenced by the fact that the President is a Yoruba man and by the Federal Government’s ongoing infrastructure projects.
“My support is just based on Mr President being a Yoruba man and his projects. And I believe that all the federal roads that he has started, I want to encourage him not to forget Osun too,” Adeleke said.
He noted that several federal roads connect Osun State with other parts of the country and urged Tinubu to extend his administration’s development projects to the state.
“I feel like, since a Yoruba man has won for the first time, maybe I will give him another chance to develop his reforms,” the governor added.
Adeleke also indicated that he was open to working with political allies of the President in Osun State, provided they were genuinely supporting Tinubu.
“As long as they say, ‘I’m doing it for Mr President,’ I don’t mind. I will work with them,” he said.
Despite his stated support for Tinubu, Adeleke said he was not currently considering returning to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“As I’m talking to you right now, I’m not even thinking about that. It’s not on my agenda,” he said when asked whether he would return to the ruling party.
The governor stressed that remaining outside the APC would not prevent him from supporting the President or cooperating with his administration where necessary.
Adeleke also spoke about the political disputes that surrounded the 2026 Osun governorship election, saying he was prepared to move beyond the disagreements and pursue political solutions to outstanding issues.
According to him, the dispute surrounding the state’s local government administration was being addressed through political discussions, while other contentious matters were also being resolved.
On his legal battle with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Adeleke reiterated that he had decided to withdraw the case following President Tinubu’s intervention.
“Mr President has told me. He called me. What more do I want?” he said.
The governor had previously challenged the EFCC over restrictions placed on the state government’s bank accounts, describing the action as politically motivated.
Following Tinubu’s intervention, Adeleke said he had instructed the state Attorney General to discontinue the lawsuit against the anti-graft agency.
The governor also disclosed that his administration was working on measures to address the detention of some of his supporters, whose release he had previously demanded.
Adeleke’s comments come shortly after his re-election as Osun governor and amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While ruling out an immediate return to the APC, his willingness to support Tinubu and cooperate with the President’s political allies in Osun could further shape the political dynamics in the state ahead of the next general election.