By Peace Udugba
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has described the emerging political relationship between Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a mutually beneficial alliance driven largely by political interests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sani made the observation on Tuesday while speaking as a guest on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.
According to him, Adeleke and Tinubu have compelling reasons to maintain a working relationship despite belonging to different political camps.
Adeleke, who contested the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election on the platform of the Accord Party, secured re-election in the poll, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.
The governor subsequently expressed appreciation to Tinubu for what he described as the President’s commitment to democratic principles and also declared support for Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027.
Sani said the development should not be viewed strictly through the prism of party affiliation, arguing that Nigerian politics is often shaped by political interests, electoral calculations and the need to protect individual and regional interests.
“The people of Adeleke may not like Tinubu, and the people of Tinubu may not like Adeleke,” Sani said.
“But Tinubu needs Adeleke for the fact that he needs the votes from Osun State. Adeleke needs Tinubu for protection against the hawks that are coming in between them.”
The former senator noted that Adeleke remained politically influential in Osun State following his re-election and could therefore be valuable to Tinubu as the President prepares for the 2027 presidential election.
He added that Tinubu, as President and leader of the Federal Government, also retained considerable political influence that could be important to Adeleke.
Sani cited the controversy over alleged moves by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to freeze Osun State Government accounts as an example of why Adeleke could consider maintaining a cordial relationship with the President.
According to him, the intervention attributed to Tinubu demonstrated the political significance of the relationship between the two leaders.
“For Tinubu to stop the EFCC from freezing the account of Osun State, and he didn’t do it secretly, it was done openly for everyone to see,” he said.
Sani argued that Adeleke’s decision to support Tinubu should therefore be understood within the broader context of political interests and the realities of governance in Nigeria.
“He has won his election, and Tinubu has stopped any form of interference to tamper with that,” he said.
The former lawmaker, however, maintained that Adeleke still had political challenges ahead and might require cooperation with the Federal Government to navigate some of them.
Sani Questions ADC’s Performance
Sani also dismissed suggestions that the Osun governorship election had demonstrated the emergence of a formidable opposition coalition capable of defeating the APC nationally in 2027.
He argued that the outcome of the Osun election should not be interpreted simply as an APC defeat, stressing that local political structures, personalities and individual interests played significant roles.
The former senator particularly questioned the performance of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the election, saying the party needed to examine its own electoral showing rather than concentrating solely on the APC’s defeat.
He questioned the party’s performance after its candidate, Najeem Salaam, reportedly secured only a relatively small share of the votes.
“What was their scorecard in Osun State?” Sani asked.
He said opposition parties aspiring to capture the presidency in 2027 must first build strong political structures across the states and local government areas.
According to him, a serious presidential ambition cannot be sustained by concentrating exclusively on the presidency while neglecting candidates contesting legislative and local government positions.
Sani said presidential candidates must support candidates contesting the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and local government positions because such candidates help build the grassroots structures required to mobilise voters.
“If your candidates lost election, if your central candidates lost election, if your House of Assembly candidate lost election, and you say you want to be president of Nigeria, you are simply wasting your time,” he said.
He maintained that opposition parties could not build a credible national political structure by focusing only on the presidential race.
According to him, political strength must be built from the grassroots upward, with candidates at different levels working together to secure electoral victories.
Sani said the Osun election exposed weaknesses that the ADC and other opposition parties must address if they intend to mount a serious challenge to the APC in 2027.
He concluded that the emerging relationship between Adeleke and Tinubu should be viewed as part of the wider political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections, with both leaders potentially benefiting from cooperation where their political interests intersect.
