Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, urged Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to write a statement praising President Bola Tinubu following his victory in the August 15 governorship election.
Wike said this during a media roundtable he organized on Wednesday and aired on Channels TV.
He made the remarks while discussing his friendship with Adeleke and his role in the Osun governorship election.
The minister expressed concern over whether Adeleke, who had stated that he backed Tinubu, would maintain that attitude if he won the election.
He noted that he called Adeleke while he was in Croatia and asked whether he would continue to support the president if he won.
“My concern: if Adeleke wins, will he still support Mr. President? And I called him because that’s my own interest. I called him, and I said, ‘Listen, you have told me you support Mr. President.’ Are you going to keep to it?’ He said he was going to keep to it. I said, ‘Okay.’
“I wished him good luck. I don’t need to go to Osun.”
Wike stated that he later instructed Adeleke to publicly reaffirm his support for Tinubu and thank the president for what he described as a free and fair election.
“After that election, go and ask Adeleke. I told Adeleke I called him when I was in Croatia. I said, ‘You told me you support Mr. President?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ ‘Now you have won; issue a statement. Issue a statement that you still will support Mr. President, and thank him for a free and fair election.’”
He also mentioned that he also asked Adeleke to present his Certificate of Return to Tinubu after receiving it.
“I don’t need to go and tell anybody. I don’t need to go and tell Mr. President. I don’t need to. He issued a statement. I also told him, ‘Adeleke, when you receive your Certificate of Return, go and present it to Mr. President.’”
The former Rivers governor said his actions were part of a strategy to counter the opposition coalition he referred to as the “coalition” seeking political influence ahead of the 2027 elections.
“I don’t need to call Mr. President ‘I want to…’ No, I don’t do that. It is my job. What was that strategy? To knock off these people you call a coalition coming to the… to come and curry favor, when Adeleke issued that statement, ADC withdrew.”
Adeleke, who ran for governor of Osun on the Accord Party platform, defeated Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s results.
Shortly after he was declared the winner, Adeleke thanked Tinubu and said the president had called to congratulate him.
“And of course, I want to seize this opportunity to thank Mr. President. Mr. President has called me, and he has congratulated me. And I thank you, Mr. President, for making sure democracy lives on, because you fought for it, Mr. President,” Adeleke said.
Adeleke secured 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. The incumbent won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.
