The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke over his renewed endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term, with the party's spokesperson, Theo Abu, describing the move as a betrayal of the opposition front that rallied behind him during the Osun governorship election.

Reacting shortly after Adeleke's remarks, Abu said the development was deeply painful for those who stood by the governor when the APC came down hard on him ahead of Saturday's poll.

He questioned what opposition supporters had gained after helping deliver a hard-fought victory, only for the governor to turn around and back the ruling party's presidential candidate.

According to Abu, Adeleke had not only let down the people of Osun who resisted the APC but had also undermined what he called the broader struggle against the ruling party.

Adeleke made the endorsement on Sunday while addressing journalists shortly after INEC declared him winner of the August 15 election. He described President Tinubu as "a son of Osun State" and said he was reaffirming an endorsement he had made prior to the poll, this time citing the President's role in ensuring a free and fair contest.

The governor's remarks drew a mixed reaction on social media, with some Nigerians accusing him of putting personal interest above the coalition that backed him, while others defended the move as being in the state's financial interest, given the benefits tied to federal allocation and cooperation with the ruling party.

The governor's endorsement is not new. He had first thrown his weight behind Tinubu's re-election bid weeks before the Osun poll, a decision that had already drawn criticism from sections of the opposition given his own party, Accord, does not field presidential candidates.

His restatement of that position immediately after his re-election, however, appeared to catch several opposition figures off guard, judging by the sharpness of reactions like Abu's.

The NDC's discomfort with the endorsement adds to broader tensions within Nigeria's fractured opposition camp ahead of the 2027 general election, where questions over unity, strategy and mutual trust between parties such as the ADC, NDC and Accord have persisted even after coordinated pushback against the APC in states like Osun.

Adeleke's win had drawn congratulatory messages from opposition heavyweights including ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, NDC presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso, and NDC vice presidential candidate Peter Obi, all of whom framed the victory as a shared success for the opposition before the governor's Tinubu remarks shifted the conversation.

As of the time of this report, Adeleke's camp had not issued a direct response to Abu's criticism, and it remained unclear whether the episode would affect the coordination opposition parties have signalled ahead of the 2027 general election.