Osun Election: Tinubu’s Neutrality Benefited Adeleke, Says Imumolen

ABUJA — Prof. Chris Imumolen, a former presidential candidate, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to exercise restraint during the August 15 Osun governorship election helped create favourable conditions for Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election.

Imumolen, however, stressed that he was not claiming that Tinubu openly backed Adeleke, campaigned for him or provided funding for his campaign.

His argument, he said, was that the President chose not to deploy the authority of his office against Adeleke, an opposition governor, even though the APC fielded Bola Oyebamiji as its candidate.

Imumolen made the assertion in a statement responding to comments by Adeleke’s campaign spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, who said the governor’s victory was the result of Osun voters’ decision and his record in office.

“Support in politics is not limited to standing on a campaign platform or openly mobilising votes for a candidate. Sometimes, leadership is demonstrated by what a leader deliberately refuses to do,” Imumolen said.

He said Tinubu’s conduct was noteworthy because the APC was represented in the election by Oyebamiji, who contested against Adeleke.

“President Tinubu demonstrated an extraordinary level of democratic restraint in Osun. He remained neutral even when the candidate of his own party was contesting the election,” he said.

According to Imumolen, the President’s restraint prevented the election from becoming a wider political confrontation between the Federal Government and the Osun State Government.

He said it gave political stakeholders, traditional rulers and voters the opportunity to participate and make their choices without undue pressure from Abuja.

“He did not turn the election into a personal battle. He did not deploy the power of his office to intimidate the opposition. Instead, he allowed the people of Osun to make their choice,” Imumolen said.

The former presidential candidate further referenced what he described as Tinubu’s intervention over the Osun State Government’s account and the President’s reported communication with Adeleke before the election result was declared.

He said those actions reflected what he regarded as a decision by Tinubu to prioritise statesmanship instead of political retaliation.

“Nobody is saying President Tinubu campaigned for Adeleke. That is not the argument. The point is that the President’s conduct, restraint and democratic disposition contributed to an environment in which Adeleke was able to contest and secure support without the Federal Government turning the election into a presidential power contest,” he said.

Following Adeleke’s re-election, Tinubu congratulated the governor. Adeleke later visited the President at the Presidential Villa after collecting his Certificate of Return.

Imumolen said attempts to assess Tinubu’s role solely through campaign funding or direct mobilisation overlooked the broader issue of political restraint.

“Leadership is not only about what you do for your friends. Sometimes, it is about what you refuse to do to your opponents,” he said.

He called on Adeleke and his supporters to acknowledge the President’s conduct.

“Victory should make a leader magnanimous, not revisionist. The President respected the democratic process in Osun. That fact should not be diminished simply because Adeleke emerged victorious,” Imumolen said.

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