Osun Governor, Deputy Absent as First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Commissions Remi Tinubu Dream Centre — Praise Akora

The Governor of Osun State, His Excellency Ademola Adeleke, and his deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi, were conspicuously absent on Wednesday at the commissioning of the Oluremi Tinubu Dream Centre at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, an event graced by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

Explaining the absence, one of the governor’s aides, Mr. Olugbenga Akanfe, stated on his official page that Governor Adeleke was not invited to the ceremony. According to him, “Going by the manifest of Mr. Governor for the week, he was not invited to the event by the management of the university,” insisting that the governor’s schedule did not include the commissioning.

However, sources within the state government told a different story. According to insiders, the absence of the governor and his deputy was linked to the embarrassing episode that trailed the First Lady’s last visit to Osun State for her chieftaincy installation, where protocol issues reportedly left her unattended. A source at the Government House further disclosed that tensions were heightened by the fact that the governorship candidate of the First Lady’s party was expected to formally receive her at the event, an arrangement said to have influenced the decision of the Osun governor and his deputy to stay away.

Further findings revealed that chairs were reserved for both the governor and his deputy at the venue, while their protocol officials were present throughout the programme. Despite this, their principals did not arrive before the event concluded, leaving many attendees visibly surprised and fuelling speculation over the real reasons behind their absence.

The development has since sparked widespread reactions within political and academic circles in Osun State, with many observers describing the episode as another sign of the growing strain between the state government and key figures of the ruling party at the federal level. While official explanations point to a lack of invitation, the conflicting accounts and visible preparations made for the governor’s presence have continued to raise questions, keeping the incident firmly in public discourse well beyond the commissioning ceremony.