Nigeria: Osun People Shouldn't Feel Betrayed By Adeleke's Endorsement of Tinubu - Aide

What the report says

A spokesperson for Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has pushed back against criticism over the governor’s endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. Speaking on Arise TV, the aide, Olawale Rasheed, said residents of Osun should not view the endorsement as a betrayal because, according to him, it was made before Adeleke’s latest electoral victory.

The Vanguard report, distributed by AllAfrica, says Rasheed argued that Adeleke had openly supported Tinubu earlier, first while in the Peoples Democratic Party and again after moving to Accord. He said the governor had already explained that the backing was tied to his interest in attracting federal attention to Osun and advancing development in the state.

Rasheed pointed to ongoing or newly awarded federal road projects in Osun as evidence that the relationship with the federal government could bring tangible benefits. The projects he mentioned included routes linking Ilesa and Ibadan, Osogbo and Ibadan, and Gbongan and Osogbo.

More broadly, the exchange highlights how state-level political endorsements in Nigeria can be interpreted through the lens of local development and federal access. The report does not indicate any immediate policy change, but it shows Adeleke’s camp seeking to frame the endorsement as a strategic move rather than a partisan surprise.