The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has revealed that he personally advised Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to publicly thank President Bola Tinubu after emerging victorious in the August 15 governorship election.

Wike made the disclosure during a media parley aired on Channels Television on Wednesday, where he explained the role he played behind the scenes during the Osun election and his relationship with Adeleke.

According to the FCT minister, his major concern before the election was whether Adeleke would remain committed to his earlier declaration of support for President Tinubu if he eventually won the governorship poll.

Wike said he contacted Adeleke while he was in Croatia to seek clarification on the governor’s political position.

“My concern: if Adeleke wins, will he still support Mr. President? And I called him, because that’s my own interest. I called him, 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.”

Following Adeleke’s victory, Wike said he again reached out to him and instructed him to make his position clear publicly by reaffirming his support for Tinubu and appreciating the President for what he considered a free and fair electoral process.

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“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 thanking him for a free and fair election.’”

The minister said he did not stop there, adding that he also advised Adeleke to personally present his Certificate of Return to President Tinubu.

“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.’”

Wike explained that his actions formed part of his broader political strategy against opposition forces seeking to build influence ahead of the 2027 general election.

“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 coalition coming to the… to come and curry favor, when Adeleke issued that statement, ADC withdrew.”

Adeleke, who contested the Osun governorship election on the platform of the Accord Party, defeated the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Oyebamiji, according to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

After he was declared winner of the election, Adeleke publicly expressed gratitude to President Tinubu and disclosed that the President had personally contacted him 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.

The governor polled 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815 votes. Adeleke won 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while the APC candidate secured victory in the remaining 11.

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