Researched by Alfa Shaban
Nigerians on social media platform X are widely circulating a political meme adapting it to all life experiences spanning sports, economy, relationship, religion, education, governance and business.
The meme came up within the context of a recent political event, the off-cycle gubernatorial election in the southwestern state of Osun.
Seen as a precursor to the upcoming 2027 main election cycle, the Osun vote attracted a lot of attention before, during and after results were announced by the election management body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
From the rancorous and in some instances deadly campaigns and allegations of federal might being used to unfairly influence the vote for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO).
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Then there was the freezing of the Osun State government’s bank accounts with weeks to the election and a social media petition by Afrobeats star, Davido, calling on US president Donald Trump to intervene to guarantee “peace, transparency, and a free and fair election.”
Davido, real name David Adedeji Adeleke became a major player in the campaign of the sitting governor, his uncle Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke, who run on the ticket of the ACCORD party while seeking reelection despite having been elected governor in 2022 on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Governor Adeleke is the man at the center of the viral meme that shows him seated in a sofa, swiftly motioning to someone to halt and or hold on to an action.
Origin of the video
FactSpace West Africa used Google Reverse Image Search to trace the video from which the meme was extracted. Our search led us to a YouTube video that showed Governor Adeleke at his residence with supporters listening to the announcement of final results from INEC.
“Chief Ademola Jackson Nurudeen (this is the exact moment he made the hold on gesture) of ACCORD party having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner,” the returning officer is heard saying before the room broke into celebrations.
Social media reactions:
A popular doctor and health influencer, Aproko Doctor, posted a series of Adeleke memes accompanied health warnings on hypertension, kidneys and liver, HIV and hypertension, sleep deprivation, self-medication and diabetes.
Below are some social media reactions leveraging the governor Adeleke meme.
Some top brands have not been left out of the fun on X.
Meme takes on a new life post election
Shortly after his win was confirmed by INEC on August 15, the governor-elect published a social media post dedicating the victory to God and the people of Osun and thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allowing a democratic outcome to play out.
“I am deeply humbled and grateful to God and the good people of Osun State for the confidence reposed in me to serve for another term. This victory belongs to the people. I commend your resilience, your courage and your unwavering commitment to democracy. I will not disappoint you.
“I thank Mr President, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his support for a free and fair election,” he added.
Post-election reactions in which the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), which placed third in the governorship vote suggested that they had an electoral alliance with ACCORD, forced the governor-elect to debunk the claim.
“I had no electoral deal or partnership with the ADC before, during, or after the governorship election. The credit for our victory goes to God Almighty and the good people of Osun State for their overwhelming support and re-election,” his post of August 18, 2026 read in part.
This clarification gave a new lease of life to the Adeleke viral meme with X users especially mocking the ADC.
You can see more of the posts by clicking here.
