Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has said members of the opposition are unhappy with Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, for appreciating President Bola Tinubu after his victory in the August 15 governorship election.
Sani said the opposition expected Adeleke to take a more confrontational position towards Tinubu rather than acknowledge the President’s role after the election.
The former senator made the comment in a post on his X handle on Monday, where he argued that winning an election involved more than simply securing votes at polling units.
Adeleke won the closely contested Osun governorship election with 511,067 votes, defeating the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes.
The candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Najeem Salaam, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.
Following the declaration of the result by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Adeleke thanked Tinubu for his role in the electoral process.
The governor’s decision to acknowledge the President has attracted attention because Adeleke and Tinubu belong to opposing political camps in Osun State.
The Accord Party governor was seeking another term against the APC candidate in an election that attracted significant political interest.
Sani, however, said Adeleke’s appreciation of Tinubu should not be seen as a sign of political weakness or betrayal of the opposition.
According to him, the opposition wanted the governor to remain confrontational towards the President, but Adeleke had reasons to acknowledge the role played by the Federal Government during the election.
“Most members of the opposition are not happy with Governor Adeleke for ‘thanking’ President Tinubu for his electoral victory. They want the Governor to be confrontational,” Sani wrote.
He argued that the President’s role in ensuring that the election process was protected was important to Adeleke’s eventual victory.
“If the President had not been helpful in securing his mandate and preventing any attempt to tamper with it, the governor wouldn’t have been so appreciative,” he said.
Sani’s comments come against the background of long-standing political rivalry between the AP and APC, particularly in Osun State.
The state has witnessed intense political competition between the two parties in recent years, with elections often attracting strong campaigns and close results.
Adeleke defeated the APC candidate in the 2022 governorship election before seeking re-election in the latest poll.
The 2026 election again produced a strong contest, with the governor defeating Oyebamiji by 66,252 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11 local government areas.
Sani used the outcome to explain why he believed securing an election after votes had been cast was as important as winning the votes themselves.
He said electoral victory had two major components: securing enough votes and ensuring that those votes were properly protected during collation and declaration.
“Electoral victory is a product of two components, winning the votes and securing the collation and victory of the vote. There are many politicians today who lost elections because of the latter,” he said.
His argument appeared to refer to the long-standing concern among politicians that election results can be affected during the collation process if adequate safeguards are not in place.
The comment also highlights the importance of the role of security agencies and electoral officials in ensuring that votes cast by citizens are protected throughout the electoral process.
In Nigeria, political parties and candidates have often raised concerns about what happens between the time votes are cast at polling units and the final declaration of results.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has repeatedly stressed the importance of transparent collation and the proper recording of results at different levels.
Political parties are also allowed under the electoral law to challenge election results if they believe that the process was compromised or that the declared result does not reflect the valid votes cast.
In the case of Osun, the APC campaign leadership has already said it is reviewing the election results and has not accepted the outcome announced by INEC.
The APC governorship campaign director-general, Oluwole Oke, said the party would examine result sheets from polling units and wards before deciding its next course of action.
The party said it had directed its agents to submit copies of relevant election forms for scrutiny.
While the APC is reviewing the result, Adeleke has been celebrating his victory and thanking those he believes contributed to the peaceful conduct of the election.
His appreciation of Tinubu has therefore added a new dimension to the political discussions surrounding the Osun election.
For Sani, however, there was nothing wrong with the governor acknowledging the President if he believed that Tinubu helped to ensure that the electoral process was not manipulated.
The former senator suggested that political differences should not prevent politicians from recognising actions that they consider positive.
His comments also come at a time when opposition parties are working to strengthen their political alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The African Democratic Congress, AP, PDP and other opposition groups have continued to criticise the Tinubu administration on several issues, including the economy, security and governance.
Against that background, Adeleke’s decision to thank Tinubu could be interpreted differently by different political groups.
While some opposition supporters may see the gesture as too friendly towards the ruling party, others may consider it a practical approach that recognises the President’s position as the country’s leader.
Sani’s statement suggests that political leaders can maintain their opposition to a government while still acknowledging actions they believe contributed to a credible electoral process.
The former senator also reminded politicians that winning votes alone may not always be enough to secure an electoral victory.
For now, Adeleke remains the winner of the Osun governorship election based on INEC’s official declaration, while the APC continues to review the results.