NRM Faults Adeleke Over Tinubu Endorsement, Says Osun Governor Betrayed Supporters

By Tony Okafor, Awka

The Nigeria Reset Movement (NRM) has accused Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, of betraying his supporters and abandoning the position he previously canvassed against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The movement, in a statement issued in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Wednesday, reacting to Adeleke’s renewed expression of support for Tinubu on August 16, 2026, described the development as a major test of political accountability in Nigeria.

The NRM alleged that Adeleke had spent months warning Nigerians about the possibility of electoral malpractice by the President and the APC before subsequently reaffirming his support for Tinubu.

The movement also alleged that more than 50 people died in Osun during the election, expressing disappointment that the alleged deaths were not mentioned in Adeleke’s victory speech.

The NRM said the governor’s latest position would ordinarily have been absorbed into Nigeria’s political cycle, where, according to the group, politicians frequently escape public scrutiny for decisions that affect the people they represent.

It argued that the development was symptomatic of what it described as a broader culture of impunity, materialism and political self-interest that had undermined public accountability since independence.

The movement, however, said it was positioning itself as an alternative platform through which Nigerians could challenge political leaders and other members of the establishment over their decisions and public commitments.

Describing itself as a non-partisan, people-driven political vehicle, the NRM said its ultimate objective was to “reset” Nigeria and revive what it described as the dignity, harmony and socioeconomic governance traditions of the country’s diverse ethnolinguistic communities.

The group said its approach to accountability was inspired by the traditional village square, where members of a community whose conduct or honour was questioned could be summoned to explain themselves before the people.

According to the NRM, the modern Nigerian equivalent should be a public forum where political leaders and influential individuals are invited to defend their claims, policies and decisions directly before Nigerians.

“If you made a claim, defend it. You made a promise to the people, account for it. You supported the policy, explain its consequences,” the movement said.

It further challenged public officials who believed Nigeria was on the right trajectory to come forward and defend that position before the Nigerian people.

The NRM said refusal by individuals invited to such public debates should be viewed by Nigerians as an indication that they were unwilling to account for their actions.

It advocated the use of peaceful civic pressure, including the withdrawal of public support, respect and services, against individuals found wanting in matters of public accountability.

The movement said its emergence represented a new phase in Nigeria’s political development, insisting that political power should no longer be separated from accountability to the people.

“The tide is turning in Nigeria,” the NRM declared, announcing itself as a new force seeking to drive the transformation it said the country urgently needed.