Osun: Adeleke, Akande, Basiru, Omisore target two million votes for Tinubu

Osun Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has brought together prominent political figures across party lines to mobilise two million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 presidential election.

The cross-party mobilisation brought together former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru; and former APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, among other political leaders, at the inauguration of the Osun State Presidential Campaign Council in Osogbo on Thursday.

Adeleke, who inaugurated the council, was appointed its state coordinator, with stakeholders calling for cooperation among political actors to strengthen Tinubu’s chances in the state.

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The governor, however, clarified that the arrangement was strictly for the presidential election and would not affect the participating parties’ interests in the National Assembly and Osun State House of Assembly elections.

He said the parties would support Tinubu’s re-election while retaining their identities and campaigning for their respective legislative candidates.

“Our deal is for the re-election of President Tinubu at the presidential elections. Each coalition partner is to campaign for their legislative candidates.

“As for me, I will campaign for Accord candidates for Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly,” Adeleke said.

The governor disclosed that the campaign’s initial target of 1.5 million votes had been increased to two million, expressing confidence that sustained political engagement and grassroots mobilisation would help achieve the goal.

He also thanked Tinubu for recognising his leadership role in Osun and assured stakeholders that efforts were underway to address challenges associated with the campaign.

Speaking at the event, Akande urged the Yoruba to support Tinubu’s second-term ambition, describing the president’s re-election as an important political objective for the region.

The former Osun governor commended Adeleke for bringing together political leaders who had previously belonged to opposing political camps, saying the gathering demonstrated the possibility of cooperation despite partisan differences.

Reflecting on his political career, the 88-year-old said he had spent much of his active years in political leadership before deciding, at the age of 75, to adopt a more reserved role.

He explained that differences in political culture and changes in the orientation of party members had sometimes made it difficult to unite his followers.

Akande, however, said Adeleke’s initiative offered an opportunity to bridge political divisions and pursue a common objective.

Quoting a lesson from his mother, which he rendered in Yoruba as, “Gbogbo ibi ti o ba ri ti won ti nse nkan rere, ko ri pe o wa ni ibe,” he urged people to identify with initiatives aimed at achieving positive outcomes.

He expressed hope that Osun would deliver the targeted two million votes for Tinubu.

Also speaking, Basiru urged political stakeholders in Osun to set aside personal ambitions and partisan differences to secure victory for the president in 2027.

He said the success of the campaign would depend on unity, cooperation and a collective commitment to Tinubu’s re-election, adding that the state’s interests should take precedence over personal disagreements.

The APC national secretary also defended the Federal Government’s economic policies, arguing that the reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration had changed the financial position of state governments and created opportunities for infrastructure development.

Drawing on his experience as a former commissioner in Osun, Basiru said state governments had previously relied on loans, overdrafts and capital-market financing to meet financial obligations and execute development projects.

He cited Adeleke’s resort to borrowing to fund projects in the state as an example of the financial pressures confronting state administrations.

On education, Basiru urged politicians and community leaders to encourage students and parents to take advantage of government-backed financial assistance programmes, particularly the student loan scheme.

He said the initiative was designed to widen access to higher education and reduce the financial burden on parents amid rising education costs.

Basiru also referred to a N50 billion allocation for national interventions, presenting government support programmes as part of efforts to address economic challenges.

On infrastructure, he said about 5,500 kilometres of roads were under construction nationwide under Tinubu’s administration.

He cited road construction along the Ibadan–Asejire–Gbongan corridor and towards the Ilesa axis as examples of ongoing projects, urging Nigerians to assess the administration based on its policies and infrastructure delivery.

Basiru further cited a reported decline in inflation, saying the rate fell from 16.3 per cent in August to 14.63 per cent in September. He described the reduction as evidence that the economy was responding to the administration’s policies.

He also claimed that international rating agencies and economic organisations had acknowledged improvements in Nigeria’s economic outlook.

The APC chieftain warned against a return to what he described as a period of financial difficulties when governments struggled to pay workers’ salaries. He also made a pointed remark about an unnamed political opponent’s previous work as a local government health inspector.

Basiru urged political leaders and residents to support the campaign through effective grassroots mobilisation.

Similarly, Omisore called on Nigerians across political affiliations to support Tinubu’s re-election, specifically urging members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord and other parties to participate in the campaign.

“We need everybody, irrespective of their political affiliation, including ADC, Accord and others, to vote for President Bola Tinubu,” he said.

Omisore stressed that the initiative was limited to the presidential election and should not be interpreted as an arrangement affecting the governorship or legislative contests.

He challenged members of the campaign council to work towards delivering two million votes for Tinubu, expressing confidence that the target could be achieved through coordinated mobilisation.

Meanwhile, stakeholders of Accord and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun endorsed Adeleke’s appointment as campaign coordinator but called on the Federal Government to urgently resolve the lingering local government crisis in the state.

At a meeting attended by Accord State Chairman, Victor Akande, and PDP State Chairman, Sunday Bisi, the stakeholders reaffirmed their support for Adeleke’s leadership of the presidential campaign.

They also backed the governor’s position that the arrangement with the APC should not extend to legislative elections, mandating him to lead campaigns for Accord candidates contesting seats in the Senate, House of Representatives, and State House of Assembly.

The stakeholders maintained that the agreement did not amount to a merger of the parties or a surrender of their separate electoral interests.

They called for an early resolution of the local government dispute, arguing that restoring normal administration at the grassroots would ease difficulties confronting communities across the state.

The leaders also appealed to Tinubu to support Adeleke in his role as campaign coordinator by facilitating a lasting solution to the crisis.

Briefing the stakeholders on developments, Adeleke said efforts to restore normality were ongoing and expressed optimism that the dispute would soon be resolved.

“I want to assure Osun people that the local government crisis is about to be resolved. We should expect the good news,” the governor said.

He added that Tinubu was committed to finding a lasting solution, insisting that his administration had not abandoned grassroots communities despite the dispute.

Other political figures at the campaign council’s inauguration included former senator Sola Adeyeye, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, former Deputy Governor Sooko Adewoyin, former Deputy Governor Titi Laoye Ponle, Professor Wale Oladipo, PDP chieftain Adelakun Adeoye, Professor Olu Aina and Senator Jide Omoworare.

The meeting also attracted the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Kazeem Akinleye; state lawmakers; members of the State Executive Council; special advisers; local government chairmen; legislative candidates; and party leaders from Osun’s 30 local government areas.