Human rights activist and former Senator Shehu Sani has said Governor Ademola Adeleke’s decision to appreciate President Bola Tinubu after his victory in the Osun State governorship election has unsettled some members of the opposition.

Sani made the remark on Monday in a post on X, following Adeleke’s victory in the August 15 election.

Adeleke, while delivering his victory speech on Sunday, thanked President Tinubu for what he described as the President’s support for a free and fair electoral process. The Osun governor also renewed his support for Tinubu’s bid to secure a second term in 2027.

However, Sani said the governor’s approach appeared to conflict with the expectations of some opposition politicians who wanted him to take a more combative stance against the President.

“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 said.

The former lawmaker suggested that Adeleke’s appreciation of Tinubu could have been influenced by the President’s role, whether direct or indirect, in ensuring that the governor’s electoral mandate was not undermined after voting ended.

According to Sani, an election victory does not end with the votes cast at polling units, as the collation and declaration stages can determine the final outcome.

He explained that electoral success involves both securing votes and ensuring that the results are properly collated and declared.

Sani further pointed out that there have been instances where politicians performed strongly at the polling stage but eventually lost out because they were unable to secure the outcome during the collation process.