Tinubu’s 2027 Re-Election: Adeleke Reportedly Gets 20 LG Chairmanship Slots in Osun Power-Sharing Deal

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has reportedly secured a dominant position in a proposed political power-sharing arrangement involving key political figures in the state, with the deal expected to reshape the coalition being assembled for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

The agreement, reportedly brokered by President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, would give Adeleke the right to nominate chairmen for 20 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while the remaining 10 would be shared among former governor Adegboyega Oyetola, former Osun APC chairman Iyiola Omisore and APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru.

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According to a report by Leadership, sources familiar with the negotiations said the arrangement would also give the governor a coordinating role in the proposed coalition and a larger share of political appointments, particularly at the federal level.

The reported agreement represents a potential shift in the balance of power among the state’s influential political camps. However, the parties have not been shown to have publicly confirmed the full terms of the arrangement.

How the Reported Agreement Would Work

Under the reported terms, Adeleke would nominate chairmen in 20 local government areas, giving his camp the largest share of the proposed allocation.

Oyetola, Omisore and Basiru would share the remaining 10 local government areas. The four camps would also nominate councillors in the councils allocated to them.

The arrangement would effectively give Adeleke control over two-thirds of the local government chairmanship nominations under the proposed structure, while the three APC figures would divide the remaining third.

The reported deal goes beyond the distribution of local government positions. It is also said to provide for the coordination of political activities and a sharing formula for appointments, potentially giving Adeleke a central role in efforts to mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

If implemented, the arrangement could bring together political figures whose interests have not always aligned in Osun State politics. It would also raise questions about how the coalition would operate alongside the existing party structures and leadership arrangements.

Why Oyetola’s Position Is Central to the Deal

Oyetola, who governed Osun State from 2018 to 2022, remains one of the most influential APC figures in the state and currently serves as Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.

His political influence has been closely associated with the APC’s leadership structure and the process of selecting candidates for elections and nominations for public appointments.

According to sources cited by Leadership, Oyetola’s camp previously exercised considerable influence over the party’s state-level political arrangements, including the selection of Bola Oyebamiji as the APC’s governorship candidate.

The reported power-sharing formula would reduce that dominance by giving Adeleke the largest share of local government nominations and providing Omisore and Basiru with allocations of their own.

One source quoted in the report said the arrangement was welcomed by the Omisore and Basiru camps but was not well received by Oyetola’s camp.

The source described the development as a significant redistribution of influence, arguing that groups that previously had little or no allocation would gain a stake under the new arrangement.

Those characterisations remain the views of the unnamed source and have not been independently established as the official positions of the individuals involved.

Omisore and Basiru Gain a Bigger Stake

Omisore and Basiru are also important to understanding the reported negotiations because both have held influential positions within the APC and have been involved in the party’s political activities in Osun.

Omisore is a former deputy governor of Osun State and former national secretary of the APC. Basiru, a former senator, currently serves as the party’s national secretary.

The proposed formula would give their camps a share of local government nominations instead of leaving the allocation concentrated in one political bloc.

For the two camps, such an arrangement could provide greater access to grassroots political structures, local appointments and the networks that help parties organise and mobilise supporters.

For Oyetola’s camp, however, the reported redistribution could mean negotiating with other power centres over decisions that it previously had greater influence over.

The extent to which these arrangements would alter the APC’s actual leadership structure remains unclear. The reported allocation of local government positions would not, by itself, establish that any party officeholder had formally surrendered an existing position or authority.

Adeleke’s Political Journey and the Coalition Question

Adeleke won the Osun governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2022 before leaving the party and contesting on the Accord Party platform in the 2026 election, according to the supplied report.

His reported emergence as the leading figure in a coalition supporting Tinubu’s re-election would therefore represent a significant political development, particularly given the longstanding rivalry between the governor’s political camp and the APC structure in the state.

The arrangement also raises questions about how Adeleke would balance his position as governor, his party affiliation and his reported role in a coalition organised around the President’s re-election.

The supplied report does not establish that Adeleke has defected to the APC. Rather, it presents him as a potential coalition leader who would retain his Accord Party affiliation while working with APC figures.

Any claim that the governor has formally joined the APC, or that the parties have completed a permanent political merger, would require separate confirmation.

The Background to the Osun Local Government Dispute

The reported negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of a prolonged dispute over control of local government councils in Osun State.

The disagreement has involved competing claims over council administration and the legal status of local government officials. The dispute has also generated court proceedings, making the question of who controls the councils a major issue in the state’s political contest.

The proposed arrangement, as described by sources cited by Leadership, would seek to resolve the dispute through an out-of-court settlement.

Under the reported plan, the parties would notify the Court of Appeal that they intended to settle the matter amicably and request time to negotiate agreed terms. Those terms would then be presented to the court for adoption.

A source quoted by Leadership said the parties expected the court to adopt the settlement as its judgment after they had reached an agreement.

However, a proposed settlement is not the same as a completed legal resolution. The court would need to consider the applicable procedures and the terms submitted to it before any agreement could acquire the legal effect of a court judgment.

The report supplied for this story does not identify the relevant appeal, provide its case number or reproduce any settlement document. Those details would be necessary to establish the precise legal status of the dispute and whether a settlement has formally been filed.

What the Deal Could Mean for Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign

Osun is politically important to the APC’s efforts to consolidate support ahead of the 2027 general election. A coalition involving the sitting governor and influential APC figures could potentially expand the network available to mobilise supporters across the state.

The reported agreement appears designed to distribute political benefits among rival camps rather than leave control concentrated in one group.

Adeleke’s reported coordinating role could give him influence over the coalition’s direction, while the allocation of local government nominations could offer the other camps a stake in its operation.

However, the effectiveness of such an arrangement would depend on whether the parties accept the terms, how the proposed appointments are implemented and whether the coalition can maintain unity beyond the negotiations.

The report also does not establish the extent to which the arrangement would translate into votes for Tinubu in 2027. Political appointments and agreements among party leaders do not automatically guarantee voter support.

What Remains Unconfirmed

Although the reported agreement outlines a proposed division of local government nominations and political influence, several important questions remain unanswered.

These include whether Adeleke, Oyetola, Omisore and Basiru have personally endorsed the terms; which local government areas would be allocated to each camp; whether a written agreement exists; and whether the parties have formally approached the Court of Appeal to settle the dispute.

It also remains necessary to establish whether the reported arrangement covers only local government nominations or extends to other political appointments and party leadership decisions.

Until the parties or relevant institutions confirm these details, the agreement should be treated as a reported political arrangement rather than a fully concluded deal.

 

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