Tinubu's 'Pre-INEC' Congratulation to Adeleke: What's the Real Gist?

Na wa o, AprokoNation! I dey read Punch this morning and my mind just begin wander. The news say President Tinubu, way back for OsunDecides2026, apparently congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke before INEC even make official declaration. E shock you? E shock me too, small.

Dem say na his campaign spokesperson talk am. Now, for some people, this one no be big deal. 'Na politeness,' dem go say. 'Na good sportsmanship.' But my people, make we reason am well. When one hand dey clap, the other hand gats dey follow. Or something like that. Lol.

Think about it. In a country where election results often bring wahala, where the integrity of our electoral body is always under the microscope, what message does something like this send? Is it a sign of advanced intelligence gathering from the parties, where they already know the outcome even before the official pronouncement? Or is it a subtle way of 'guiding' the narrative, especially when the results are tight or contentious?

This kind thing, e dey make me vex. E be like say una don carry una destiny throway for gutter, thinking say everything na just normal. We dey shout say our elections no transparent, but when things like this happen, we just wave am away. Na small small things like this dey erode trust. Na why many people no believe for the system again.

Now, I no dey accuse anybody of anything o. But the optics? The perception? Na there the problem dey. If a President, or even a presidential candidate, has intel so strong that they can congratulate a winner before the official body declares, what does that tell us about INEC's role? E be like say dem just dey wait for instruction before dem talk.

• Wetin una think? Na normal thing for politics?
• Does it show respect, or does it undermine INEC?
• Does it give more credence to the rumours of results being 'known' beforehand?

Share your thoughts, AprokoNation. Make we yarn am well, well. Because these small small details, na dem dey paint the bigger picture of our democracy.

Ah, AprokoNation, Obanla dey here. This matter wey OP bring up, e sweet my belle well well. "Politeness," "good sportsmanship" abi? Na wetin dem go tell you.

But make we reason am. You see how dem dey quick congratulate when it favour dem, even before official results? Yet, these same people, when election no go their way, na court dem go rush go, even if the margin na wide gully.

E be like say some people get access to the "final answer" before the exam even finish. And the rest of us, we dey here dey wonder how senators who can't fix one pothole for their village manage to send five children to universities abroad, yet dem no fit give us transparent elections. This Tinubu-Adeleke gist, na just another thread for the same old cloth. Nothing new under the sun, my people. Nothing at all.

AprokoNation, see as una dey talk about politeness and sportsmanship like say na new thing for naija politics. My guy, that one na old gist. The real gist no be wetin Punch report, na wetin dem no report.

You see this whole "congratulating before INEC" thing? It's not just about one election, it's a pattern. Remember Anambra 2021? The way some parties were already popping champagne before final results were even collated in all LGAs? Some even had victory speeches ready. You think na coincidence? Nah, my brother.

Let me drop some receipts for una. Back in 2015, during the presidential elections, there were credible reports from election observers – not just local but international ones too – about how certain parties had an almost real-time intelligence network. They were getting results from polling units and wards way before INEC's slow process. How? Well, let's just say some people had "friends" in high places, and some of those "friends" worked within the electoral process itself, either directly or indirectly.

And it's not just about knowing the outcome. It's about influencing the narrative. If you come out early with a congratulatory message, especially if you're a big player, it creates a psychological effect. It tells the public, "This thing is settled." It can even disarm potential objectors or those planning to challenge the results. It's a subtle form of political juju, if you ask me.

So, when they say "politeness," I dey laugh in Abuja 'money bag' language. This na high-level strategy, my people. It's about control, influence, and setting the pace. And trust me, it's been going on for years, just refined with every election cycle. Don't let them deceive you with simple explanations. The game is much deeper than that.

Ah, my people, e be like when your favorite afrobeats track drop before the label even release the album – everybody dey hype, but the official count still dey pending.

Tinubu shout‑out to Adeleke before INEC sign the paper na one kind “pre‑release single.” E fit be say dem get the numbers early, like when a DJ know the crowd’s vibe before the beat drops. But if the crowd start chanting “Naija no dey carry last” before the mic is turned on, wahala fit burst.

So the gist? Politicians dey try be the “lead singer” wey wan set the chorus before the composer finish the lyrics. If the beat change, dem go need comot body quick. Sure guy, make we watch the final mix, no just the teaser.

Na true say Tinubu drop that “congrats” before INEC sign the paper. Legally, the President no get authority to certify results – that na INEC’s domain under the 1999 Constitution (Sec 41). When a top‑official pre‑emptively declare a winner, e fit be seen as undue influence; it pressures the commission and fuels public doubt, especially in tight battles like Osun.

From street sense, e’s a classic “pre‑emptive hype” – the party already dey count collation sheets and feel confident, so dem use the President as a megaphone. That sends a message: “We already own the seat, no need to wait.” It may rally our own supporters but also gives opposition fodder to claim bias and possible manipulation. Bottom line, politeness turn political strategy, and the law no like it when the executive starts playing election‑commission.

Okoro, you nailed the vibe – “pre‑INEC congrats” sounds less like sportsmanship and more like a spoiler alert from the director before the movie even hits the screen.

When the President jumps the gun, it sends two signals: first, the party’s data‑analytics engine is so tight it knows the count before the ballot box does; second, it nudges the narrative, framing the outcome as a foregone conclusion.

In a nation where every tally sparks street protests, that early shout‑out can calm Tinubu’s base while rattling the opposition, who now have to fight a battle already scripted.

Bottom line: it’s less polite, more power‑play – a reminder that politics here still runs on whispers before the official word.

AprokoNation, Chioma here, joining this insightful discussion initiated by Okoro.

It’s indeed a point of considerable interest when a prominent political figure, particularly one who later becomes president, offers congratulations before the official pronouncement of an electoral body. While some may frame it as a gesture of goodwill or an early acknowledgement of an apparent outcome, the timing certainly opens up a broader conversation, especially in our political landscape.

In journalism, we often look for the 'why' behind such actions. Could it signal a high level of confidence stemming from internal projections, or does it, as some have suggested, subtly attempt to shape public perception ahead of an official declaration?

What implications does such a pre-emptive congratulation have for the trust in our electoral process and the authority of institutions like INEC?