Adeleke To Keyamo: I have No Pact With Tinubu Over 2027 Presidency

Governor-elect of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has denied having an agreement with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his 2027 re-election bid.

Tinubu has declared interest in next year’s presidential election despite the attack on him, by not a few Nigerians, who insist that he does not deserve to return to the Nigerian Presidency because of the abysmal manner his government has managed the country, particularly the economy.

Adeleke, who won a landslide victory on Saturday against the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Bola Oyebanji, made the comment on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, amid suggestions that he had an informal agreement with the President to assist him with his second presidential bid if Tinubu assisted him in returning as governor.
The state helmsman was, on Saturday, declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after scoring over 511,000 votes to defeat his closest rival, who, according to INEC, secured 444,000 votes.
The suggestions that the governor and President Tinubu had an agreement gained more momentum following a remark made by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, on the heels of Adeleke’s declaration as the winner of the keenly contested election.
Keyamo had urged Governor Adeleke to respect the alleged “agreement” with the President in a post he shared on his verified X account on Sunday.
The minister’s remarks also came after Governor Adeleke reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Describing Adeleke as a man of “integrity,” the minister said he believed that he would not go back on the agreement between him and President Tinubu.
“Thank you, Governor Ademola Adeleke, for the public and unequivocal endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election,” Keyamo said.
“You are a man of integrity and honour. Agreement is agreement.”
Reacting, Governor Adeleke stated that there was no agreement between him and Tinubu, saying the only reason he agreed to support the incumbent for a second term was simply because he is an indigene of the state.
According to him, he is also supporting the President so that he can carry on with his reforms of the country.
Adeleke said: “There was no agreement between me and Tinubu. I want him to be able to complete the federal roads he started in the state.”
Adding that he also threw his weight behind Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid because “he’s a Yoruba man,” Adeleke said: “I want him to complete his reform.”
“Tinubu did not support me to win; it was my work that worked for me.”
On suggestions that he was likely to defect to the ruling APC to assist the President in achieving his aim of securing a second term in office, Adeleke said he had no such plan.
“It’s not on my agenda to go back to APC,” he affirmed.