- Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his election win while referencing an alleged political agreement with President Bola Tinubu
- Adeleke’s campaign council fired back, saying Osun voters freely chose their governor and that no deal exists between Adeleke and Tinubu
- The Imole Campaign Council said Adeleke’s support for Tinubu is tied to the president’s performance, not any political arrangement
The campaign organisation of Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke has pushed back against claims by a federal minister that the governor struck a deal to back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The dispute began after Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Economy, congratulated Adeleke following his victory in the 2026 Osun governorship election. In his message, Keyamo suggested the win came with strings attached.
He wrote:
“Thank you, Governor Ademola Adeleke, for the public and unequivocal endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT for the 2027 Presidential Election. You are a man of integrity and honour. ‘Agreement is agreement.'”
Adeleke’s camp hits back
Pelumi Olajengbesi, spokesman for the Imole Campaign Council (TICC), rejected Keyamo’s characterisation outright. He said the people of Osun made a free democratic choice and that no backroom arrangement underpins the governor’s relationship with the presidency.
“Do not undermine the resilience of Osun people. There is no agreement,” Olajengbesi said.
The lawyer-turned-politician further said:
“Our support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, @officialABAT, is based on his performance and reforms that have strengthened states economically. Osun people voted for @AAdeleke_01. President Tinubu simply ensured democratic rules were respected.”
Olajengbesi’s statement draws a clear line between what he described as principled policy-based support and any suggestion of a transactional political pact. The camp did not dispute that Adeleke holds a positive view of Tinubu’s presidency, but insisted that goodwill rooted in governance outcomes is not the same as an electoral agreement.
What Keyamo’s remarks implied
Keyamo’s use of the phrase “agreement is agreement” in his congratulatory message was widely read as a signal that Adeleke’s re-election was tied to a broader political understanding between the Osun governor and the federal government. Adeleke runs on the Accord Party ticket, while Tinubu leads the rival All Progressives Congress (APC), making any such alliance politically significant heading into the 2027 general elections.
The TICC did not address whether Adeleke personally spoke with Tinubu ahead of or after the election, nor did the camp comment on what specific reforms it credited to the president’s administration.
Source: Legit.ng