Former Osun governor Oyinlola says his endorsement of Tinubu 'has expired'

Former Osun State governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola has said his endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 election is no longer valid.
What he said
Asked in a television interview, reported on Thursday, 5 November 2026, whether he still stood by the endorsement, Oyinlola reportedly replied that it had expired. He explained that he and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders in Osun endorsed the President on 20 July 2025 as a strategic move, because of problems in the state that they believed only the President could solve, including missing local government funds and a dispute over who should occupy the local council offices. He said the endorsement was meant to help resolve those issues, but the solution had not come.
Background
Oyinlola governed Osun State from 2003 to 2010. Osun has been at the centre of a long-running dispute over control of its local governments, involving the PDP-led state government of Governor Ademola Adeleke and APC-backed council officials, with court rulings and disagreements over the release of council funds. The PDP itself is divided, with some members backing Tinubu, others joining opposition coalitions, and a court battle over its national leadership.
Why it matters
The withdrawal is a setback for the President's campaign in Osun, a swing state in the South West. The APC says it remains confident of winning the state, while opposition parties hope to benefit from discontent there.
What happens next
Oyinlola did not say which candidate, if any, he would now support.
- Oyinlola says his endorsement of Tinubu has expired.
- He says it was a move to resolve Osun's council crisis.
- He has not said who he will now back.


