‘Why Adeleke Is Endorsing Tinubu At National Level’

A member of the West African Solidarity Network, Austin Aigbe, has accused Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke of playing politics with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate by supporting the President at the federal level while opposing his administration’s influence in the state.

Naija News reports that Aigbe made the allegation during an ARISE News programme on the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, where he discussed the political relationship between Adeleke, Tinubu and former Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

According to him, Adeleke’s support for Tinubu at the national level was politically motivated by the relationship between the President and Oyetola.

Aigbe argued that Adeleke was seeking Tinubu’s support because of the President’s relationship with the former Osun governor.

“Governor Adeleke wants President on his side because the President is a cousin to the former governor of Osun,” Aigbe said.

He alleged that Adeleke was attempting to maintain a relationship with the President while resisting the influence of the Tinubu administration in Osun State.

“Governor Adeleke is just playing politics, supporting Tinubu’s mandate at the federal level but not the state level,” he added.

The allegation comes amid heightened political activities ahead of the Osun governorship election, with different political actors positioning themselves and assessing the alliances among the major contenders.

Also speaking during the programme, human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju described Adeleke’s endorsement of Tinubu as contradictory, particularly in view of the governor’s repeated allegations that the Federal Government was working against his administration and political interests in Osun.

Adeyanju said it was difficult to reconcile Adeleke’s decision to support Tinubu’s presidential mandate with his claims that the President’s administration was planning to interfere with the Osun governorship election.

“Governor Adeleke is endorsing Tinubu and also crying that his government is trying to rig him,” Adeyanju said.

The activist questioned the political logic behind the governor’s position, arguing that it appeared inconsistent for an opposition figure to endorse the President while simultaneously accusing the Federal Government of plotting against him.

‘Opposition Should Oppose Government’

Adeyanju further argued that the political alignment was inconsistent with the traditional role of opposition parties.

He said the Accord Party, which he described as part of the broader opposition, would ordinarily be expected to oppose the government at the centre rather than support its presidential candidate.