The All Progressives Congress (APC) has appointed Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke as the state coordinator of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign, despite the governor being a member of the Accord Party.
The appointment is contained in the presidential campaign council list released by the APC on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, ahead of preparations for the next general election.
The development highlights the growing political cooperation between Adeleke and the ruling party, particularly over the governor’s publicly declared support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
According to the campaign council list, former Osun State Governor Adebisi Akande and former Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore have been assigned advisory responsibilities in the campaign structure.
However, another former governor of the state and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, was not included in the published list.
Oyetola, who is regarded as a prominent APC leader in Osun, has not been publicly assigned a role in the campaign arrangement.
The party has also not provided an explanation for his omission.
The presidential campaign council is scheduled to be inaugurated on Wednesday, October 14, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Adeleke’s appointment comes after months of political developments that have seen him openly align with Tinubu’s presidential ambition while maintaining his membership of the Accord Party.
Before the August 2026 governorship election in Osun State, Adeleke and the national leadership of the Accord Party had endorsed Tinubu as their preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The party leadership explained that its support was influenced by the need to ensure the completion of major federal infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road and the Sokoto-Badagry Highway.
Adeleke subsequently won re-election in the August 15 governorship poll, defeating the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, with 511,067 votes.
Following his victory, the governor reaffirmed his support for Tinubu, linking his decision to regional considerations and his interest in the completion of federal projects across the South-West.
Despite his endorsement of the president, Adeleke previously dismissed suggestions that he had entered into a political agreement with Tinubu concerning the 2027 presidential election.
During an interview with Channels Television after the governorship election, the governor maintained that his decision was voluntary and was not the outcome of any negotiated arrangement.
He explained that Tinubu’s South-West background and the importance of ongoing infrastructure development influenced his position.
Adeleke also expressed willingness to cooperate with APC figures in Osun, including his former electoral opponent, Oyebamiji, and Oyetola, in efforts to support the president’s re-election.
His campaign organisation similarly rejected claims that the endorsement resulted from a political deal, maintaining that the governor’s support was informed by Tinubu’s policies and performance.
The inclusion of Adeleke in the APC campaign leadership is particularly significant because he remains a governor elected on a different political platform.
It also places him in a coordinating position within a campaign structure that includes established APC figures who have played influential roles in Osun politics.
Meanwhile, Oyetola’s absence from the list has drawn attention to the composition of the state campaign leadership.
As a former governor, serving federal minister and influential APC figure in Osun, his exclusion represents a notable feature of the newly announced arrangement.
However, the published list does not establish whether he will be assigned another responsibility as campaign preparations progress.
With the council’s inauguration scheduled for October 14, the APC is expected to begin formalising its political mobilisation arrangements for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid.
Adeleke’s new role further demonstrates how support for the president’s re-election is extending beyond the formal membership of the ruling party, even as questions remain over the responsibilities of some prominent APC stakeholders in Osun State.