As far as I am concerned, Governor Ademola Adelekeโs recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) for the 2027 elections is not a show of strategic alliance or visionit is a thinly veiled act of political cowardice. The reasoning behind it, at best, is watery unconvincing, devoid of depth, and insulting to the very principles Adeleke once claimed to uphold.
This development is a glaring contradiction for a governor who rose to power under the banner of change, backed by a wave of dissatisfaction with the current political order. How do you explain aligning with the very system you once campaigned against? How does one pivot from opposition to endorsement without accountability or consultation with the people who elected him?
In Yoruba, we say, โNรญ’boni รฌpร dรฉ olรณjร pel’รกsรญnwรญn?โwho decreed that the gathering of traders should be ruled by madness? This proverbial question perfectly captures the state of Nigeriaโs political landscape: where decisions of great consequence are made in haste, guided not by principle but by fear, ambition, or self-preservation. Governor Adelekeโs move echoes this chaos.
Some argue it’s a pragmatic decision an effort to ensure Osunโs inclusion in federal benefits. But should political loyalty be transactional at the cost of integrity? Should leaders abandon their mandates and identities for the illusion of influence? The people of Osun deserve better than silence dressed in loyalty. They deserve bold, principled leadership, not quiet acquiescence in the face of national dysfunction.
Endorsement, when grounded in conviction, can be powerful. But this? This feels less like conviction and more like capitulation.
Governor Adeleke must be reminded: history is not kind to those who bend with every breeze. The people are watching. And in 2026 and 2027, they will remember.
