President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign for the 2027 general elections has gained unexpected but significant momentum, following an open endorsement by Governor Ademola Adeleke and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State.
The development, which has stirred reactions across the political spectrum, was confirmed by Governor Adeleke on Tuesday through a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.
He revealed that the endorsement followed a high-level caucus meeting of the Osun PDP held in Osogbo on Monday.
“Our party in Osun has also endorsed President @officialABAT for re-election in 2027, recognising him as a proud son of our state,” Adeleke wrote.
He added that after extensive consultations with political stakeholders, traditional rulers, civil servants, market leaders, and grassroots party members, the state chapter of the PDP agreed to throw its support behind Tinubu for a second term in office.
The Osun governor’s statement is seen as a bold and controversial political move, particularly because he belongs to the PDP, the main opposition party at the national level.
Tinubu, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), hails from Lagos State but has ancestral roots in Osun.
The endorsement by Adeleke, a high-profile PDP governor, adds a layer of complexity to the unfolding political narrative as the 2027 race begins to take shape.
Analysts have described the development as both surprising and strategic.
While it may boost Tinubu’s re-election prospects in the South West, it also reflects internal shifts within the PDP, especially in Osun State, where the party is in power but may be looking to align with broader regional interests.
Governor Adeleke, whose political moves have been closely watched in recent months, also used the occasion to clarify rumours about his possible defection from the PDP.
He reaffirmed his loyalty to the party and announced that he had been unanimously endorsed by the Osun PDP to seek a second term as governor in the 2026 state elections.
“Yesterday, I met with the @OfficialPDPNig leadership caucus in Osogbo after weeks of consultations with stakeholders across Osun, from traditional rulers and civil servants to market leaders and grassroots party members,” he wrote.
“I’m pleased to share the resolutions: I remain in the PDP, the party that gave me the platform to serve the good people of Osun. I have been unanimously endorsed by the Osun PDP for a second term in 2026.”
So far, the national leadership of the PDP has not issued any formal response to Adeleke’s statement, and it remains unclear whether this signals a broader policy shift or a personal decision by the Osun chapter.
However, the move has sparked intense debate within political circles, with some praising Adeleke’s “mature statesmanship” and others accusing him of betraying the opposition’s mandate.
