Wike: Adeleke Has Joined Our Camp, Backs Tinubu for 2027

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has joined his political camp, saying the governor and other members of the group are backing President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.

Wike made the statement on Friday while speaking with journalists in Abuja, a day after Adeleke visited him following his victory in the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

“Adeleke belongs to us, and we all belong to Mr President,” Wike said.

The statement comes amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections and days after Adeleke held separate meetings with President Tinubu and Wike in Abuja.

Adeleke had on Thursday visited the Presidential Villa, where he met with Tinubu and presented his Certificate of Return following his re-election as Osun governor.

The governor later met with Wike, with photographs from the meeting showing both men holding Adeleke’s Certificate of Return.

Adeleke’s meetings have attracted political attention because of his position within the opposition landscape and his recent endorsement of Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.

In July, Adeleke and the national leadership of the Accord Party adopted Tinubu as their preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

However, Adeleke’s camp later denied that his support for Tinubu was based on any political agreement with the President, saying the governor’s decision was based on his assessment of Tinubu’s performance and the interests of Osun State.

Wike’s latest comments have nevertheless added to speculation about the political alignments that could emerge ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.

The FCT minister said Adeleke’s visit was significant and declared that the governor was now fully supporting Tinubu.

“So, Adeleke is fully supporting Mr President,” Wike said.

Wike also predicted that the political movement supporting Tinubu would expand in the coming weeks.

“In the next few weeks, watch what is going to happen. You will see the Rainbow Coalition in this country supporting Mr President,” he said.

The minister suggested that more politicians and political groups would move toward the President as the 2027 election approaches.

His comments followed a heated political debate over the outcome of the Osun governorship election, in which Adeleke defeated the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, to secure another term in office.

The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Adeleke the winner after he polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji secured 444,815 votes. African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam finished third with 17,180 votes.

Adeleke won 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas.

Following his victory, Adeleke met with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa and thanked the President for what he described as allowing the electoral process to proceed freely.

Speaking after the meeting, Adeleke described Tinubu as the “father of the nation” and said the President’s conduct had allowed democracy to prevail in the state.

Adeleke’s subsequent meeting with Wike has further fuelled political discussion about where the governor and his allies stand as the 2027 presidential election approaches.

Wike has repeatedly argued that the opposition is becoming weaker ahead of 2027 and has predicted an easier re-election contest for Tinubu than the President faced in 2023.

He also dismissed suggestions that Adeleke’s victory in Osun represented a defeat for Tinubu or the Federal Government, arguing that the election was allowed to take place without the use of federal might to secure an APC victory.

The latest declaration by Wike is expected to intensify discussions about the emerging political alliances around Tinubu as politicians begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general election.

For now, however, Wike’s statement represents his characterization of Adeleke’s political alignment. Adeleke’s camp has previously maintained that there was no political deal behind the governor’s support for Tinubu.