Is Governor Adeleke Defecting to APC After Visiting Tinubu? Campaign Council Reacts
- Adeleke's campaign spokesperson addressed journalists in Abuja on Friday after the governor's meeting with President Tinubu raised questions
- Spokesperson Pelumi Olajengbesi said the visit was a courtesy call, not a signal of any plans to switch political parties
- Separately, a coalition of lawyers gave INEC and the police 7 days to act on alleged incitement and killings during the Osun governorship election
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FCT, Abuja - The spokesperson for the Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has said that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has no plans to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), following speculation triggered by the governor's visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Olajengbesi said the meeting between Governor Adeleke and President Tinubu was a routine courtesy call that should not be read as a precursor to any political realignment.
As reported by Daily Trust, he stated this while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday, August 21, 2026.
Why Adeleke visited Tinubu
Olajengbesi described Adeleke's visit as appropriate protocol, saying the governor wanted to acknowledge the President's role in facilitating the conditions under which the Osun governorship election was conducted and won.
"The visit of Governor Ademola Adeleke to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the proper thing to do. It is the norm; it is the standard. The visit of Mr Governor to Mr President is not taking the people of Osun State for granted, but the intention is to amplify the aspiration of the people of Osun State."
He added that Adeleke used the meeting to urge Tinubu to back measures that would strengthen democratic institutions and guard against their manipulation by political actors.
Olajengbesi also said the President encouraged the governor to pursue reconciliation in Osun, telling him it was "the best time for us to unite our people."
The spokesperson said this aligned with Adeleke's own publicly stated position on healing divisions in the state.
"The essence of that visit has nothing to do with Governor Ademola Adeleke joining APC. Governor Ademola Adeleke is not joining APC."
Adeleke presents certificate of return to Wike
Recall that Osun Governor Adeleke met FCT Minister Nyesom Wike in Abuja days after his re-election victory.
The visit followed Adeleke's earlier meeting with President Bola Tinubu, where he presented his Certificate of Return.
Adeleke defeated APC's Bola Oyebamiji with 511,067 votes in the August 15 governorship election.
"You did not conquer anybody": Tinubu tells Adeleke
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that President Tinubu received Osun governor Adeleke at the Presidential Villa in Abuja following the governorship election.
Tinubu warned the governor against stigmatising his opponents and told him he won an election, not a conquest.
The president said Adeleke was in a unique position to make history and must prove himself through action, not celebration.
Source: Legit.ng
