OPINION: In Osun, It’s Pro-Tinubu or Nothing

By Taofik Adekunle Jimoh

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State seems to be missing the plot, and badly so.

While they are busy drawing red lines between party loyalty and opposition, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has long moved on from that old playbook.

In this era of political survival and consolidation, the only ideology that matters in Tinubu’s power circles is one thing: his 2027 Agenda. And it’s no gainsaying he will do all he can to consolidate it.

Ipso facto, Tinubu has over the years proved himself to be a political tactician par excellence. The projectory has shown he’s already in his 2027 war room, mapping out alliances, trading chips, and discarding sentimental loyalties that do not serve his larger interests. If the Osun APC cannot read this new body language, they risk being politically orphaned.

At the heart of this realignment is a man many would never have expected to be in Tinubu’s good books: Governor Ademola Adeleke. Yes, a PDP governor. Yes, the same Adeleke once mocked as a dancing senator. But today, Adeleke has shown remarkable dexterity in understanding Tinubu’s power dynamics. He has warmed up to the center in recent times. He has positioned himself as a cooperative governor. Call it Pro-Tinubu.

So, let’s cut to the chase: in Osun, the binary now is not APC vs PDP. It’s Pro-Tinubu vs Anti-Tinubu. Adeleke is pro-Tinubu. And by that logic, he is the de facto political power broker in the state. Party lines be damned!

It’s time Osun APC woke up and smelled the coffee. The old assumption that being in the ruling party automatically guarantees federal backing no longer holds water. Tinubu is assembling a team for 2027, and he doesn’t care whether his allies wear red, blue, or green. He only cares if they can help him win.

If Adeleke can guarantee Tinubu electoral advantage in 2027 in Osun State and beyond, the President may just hold his nose and keep him close. Everyone else, including long-time loyalists like Asiwaju Ikire, Kunle K-Rad, and Aláàfíà Dotun, may simply have to wait. Their reward may come later, perhaps in the form of appointments or delayed political elevation. For now, Tinubu’s game plan trumps personal ambition.

Need proof of this? Look no further than Rivers State. The APC there practically self-destructed while Tinubu chose to align with former Governor Nyesom Wike, who has proved himself to be a PDP powerhouse. The result? Wike is now a Minister, the APC structure in Rivers is PRO-Wike. If Tinubu, and by extension can sacrifice a party’s structure for national interests, Osun APC should not assume immunity.

The idea that Adeleke is merely enjoying a honeymoon with the federal government is naïve. He is playing his own long game and playing it well. Whether out of self-preservation or a genuine strategic shift, he has become one of Tinubu’s unlikely assets. Unless the APC in Osun recognizes this and adapts, they risk political irrelevance.

The question now is: will Tinubu truly throw his APC cousins and loyalists in Osun under the bus just to keep Adeleke happy? The answer, unfortunately for some, is yes—if that’s what it takes to secure 2027.

Tinubu is building a legacy, and sentimental baggage has no place on that journey.

As things stand, pro-Tinubu loyalty is the new currency of political relevance. If you have it, you’re in the room. If you don’t, you’re outside looking in. Osun APC needs to either realign or risk learning the hard way.

The message is simple: get smart, get strategic, or get sidelined.

Taofik Adekunle Jimoh (JAAT) is the e editor of News Bulletin Nigeria.