Oriontimes Post-Election Report | August 16, 2026
Governor Ademola Adeleke’s decision to endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu barely hours after his electoral victory is deeply disappointing and raises serious questions about political gratitude, loyalty and respect for the people of Osun State.
Your endorsement of President Tinubu, coming so soon after your victory, is viewed by many as an unfortunate disregard for the sacrifices made by the people of Osun who stood firmly behind you despite the difficult political circumstances, intimidation and violence that have characterised the state’s political environment.
Many Osun people made enormous personal and political sacrifices to defend their democratic choice. Families lost loved ones, individuals abandoned their ambitions, and supporters endured harassment and pressure because they believed in the struggle for a government that truly represents the people.
It is therefore difficult to understand how, immediately after receiving the people's mandate, you could embrace and endorse the political establishment that many of those same people believe has been responsible for the hardship, persecution and violence they suffered.
Governor Adeleke, Osun people must not be used as bargaining chips for personal political advancement or monetary negotiations. The message from the recent election is clear: **the people of Osun cannot simply be bought.**
If money alone could determine elections, the APC would have defeated you. But the people made a conscious decision to demonstrate that government of the people, by the people and for the people is still possible in Osun State.
Your victory was therefore not merely a personal political achievement. It was a victory made possible by thousands of ordinary Osun people who believed their votes could make a difference.
Endorsing a political party or political leader is your constitutional right. However, your personal political decision does not automatically represent the position of the people of Osun State.
The people have demonstrated repeatedly that they are capable of making their own political choices. If, in 2027, you or anyone else chooses to support President Tinubu or the APC, Osun voters will equally exercise their democratic rights and decide who deserves their votes.
The lesson of this election should be clear: **the people gave you power; they did not surrender their conscience.**
No amount of political alliance, financial inducement or governmental influence should make any politician believe that the people of Osun can be permanently controlled.
If the Treasury of Osun State is eventually used to advance the political interests of others, the people will still have the final say at the ballot box. They did so against the APC, and they can do so again against anyone they believe has betrayed their trust.
Governor Adeleke should therefore remember that political power is temporary, but the memory of the people is enduring. Those who sacrificed for his victory deserve appreciation, respect and accountability—not an immediate political realignment that makes their sacrifices appear meaningless.
Osun belongs to its people. Their votes cannot be bought, their sacrifices cannot be erased, and their political conscience cannot be negotiated away.
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