Former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola has withdrawn his endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, declaring that the political arrangement which informed his earlier support has expired.
Oyinlola also urged Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to retire from active politics, arguing that both men were too old to seek the presidency again.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
Asked whether he still supported Tinubu’s re-election, Oyinlola replied, “It has expired.”
The former governor was among PDP stakeholders in Osun State who endorsed Tinubu for a second term on July 20, 2025.
However, he explained that the endorsement was a calculated political move intended to secure federal intervention in the lingering local government crisis in Osun State.
According to him, the unresolved dispute over control of local government offices and the withholding of council funds had forced political stakeholders to explore ways of securing a resolution.
Oyinlola described the endorsement as a tactical decision rather than an expression of unconditional support for the President.
He said the strategy failed to produce the desired outcome, adding that he withdrew from the arrangement shortly afterwards.
“We did not achieve anything,” he said.
Turning to the 2027 presidential contest, Oyinlola maintained that Tinubu and Atiku should allow younger Nigerians to assume leadership responsibilities.
He argued that age should be considered when assessing candidates for public office, recalling that he had previously advocated an age limit for governorship aspirants.
The former governor has declared his support for Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who is seeking the presidency on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
His latest position marks a public reversal of the endorsement he joined other Osun PDP stakeholders in giving Tinubu last year.