Details have emerged on the meeting between Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in Abuja on Thursday.
Adeleke visited Wike hours after meeting President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, where he presented his certificate of return following his victory in the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
The meeting with Wike formed part of the governor’s engagements in Abuja after securing a second term in office.
A photograph of the meeting was shared on X by Lere Olayinka, Wike’s media aide, showing Adeleke and the FCT minister shaking hands while holding the governor’s certificate of return.
Olayinka captioned the photograph, “Governor Ademola Adeleke visits the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.”
The visit came shortly after Adeleke met Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in what was his first face-to-face meeting with the President since his re-election.
Adeleke arrived at the Villa at about 5:25pm in a navy blue traditional outfit and was accompanied by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Several Osun officials later joined him at the Presidential Villa, including the Director-General of his Campaign Council, Senator Lere Oyewumi; a member of the council, Sunday Bisi; his Chief of Staff, Akinleye Kazeem; and Bamidele Salam, who represents Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
During the meeting, Adeleke expressed appreciation to Tinubu over the conduct of the election and commended the President for allowing the democratic process to take its course.
Speaking briefly after the meeting, the governor said his main purpose for visiting the President was to express his gratitude.
“Yeah, that is why I’m here to thank Mr. President, the father of the nation, because he fought for this democracy.
“That is why he allowed free and fair election, and that is the result. That is why I’m here, to say thank you to ensure that democracy lives in Nigeria,” Adeleke said.
The governor’s meetings in Abuja come against the backdrop of his recent declaration of support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, despite belonging to the Accord Party.
Adeleke won the Osun election with 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
The governor secured victory in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.
Tinubu had congratulated Adeleke after the election and urged him to use his renewed mandate to unite the people of Osun State irrespective of their political affiliations.
Adeleke subsequently explained that his decision to support Tinubu was not the result of a political agreement between them.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television, the governor said his support was influenced by Tinubu’s identity as a Yoruba man and the projects being undertaken by the Federal Government.
“No, I did not reach an agreement with Mr President,” Adeleke said.
He added, “My support is just based on Mr President being a Yoruba man and his projects. And I believe that all the federal roads that he has started, I want to encourage him not to forget Osun too.”
The governor also appealed to Tinubu to extend federal infrastructure projects to Osun, particularly the rehabilitation and construction of federal roads connecting the state with other parts of the country.
“I feel like, since a Yoruba man has won for the first time, maybe I will give him another chance to develop his reforms,” Adeleke said.
He also indicated that he was prepared to work with political actors in Osun who support the President, regardless of their political affiliations.
“As long as they say, ‘I’m doing it for Mr President,’ I don’t mind. I will work with them,” he said.
However, Adeleke ruled out any immediate plan to defect to the APC, insisting that such a move was not currently under consideration.
“As I’m talking to you right now, I’m not even thinking about that. It’s not on my agenda,” he said.