Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has rejected claims by Bolaji Abdullahi, the national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), that the party collaborated with Accord to secure Adeleke’s victory in the August 15 governorship election.
Gatekeepers News reports that Adeleke defeated All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Oyebamiji and ADC candidate Najeem Salaam in the keenly contested election.
The governor, who contested on the Accord platform, polled 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes. Salaam finished third with 17,180 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured the remaining 11.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV on Monday, Abdullahi said the ADC worked with Accord to ensure Adeleke’s re-election and prevent the APC from winning the election.
He said the ADC had anticipated that votes from opposition parties could be divided, potentially giving the APC an advantage.
“We saw the possibility of collaboration. We saw the possibility earlier enough that if we decided to go full throttle, the possibility that the opposition would divide the votes and the APC would take the victory was there,” Abdullahi said.
“And that was why we saw the opportunity to work together, and that was what happened.”
‘No Deal With the ADC’
However, Adeleke dismissed the claim in a post on X on Tuesday, saying the ADC was not part of the political coalition that supported his campaign.
While attributing his re-election to God and the people of Osun State, the governor said he had no electoral agreement or partnership with the ADC before, during or after the election.
“I had no electoral deal or partnership with the ADC before, during, or after the governorship election,” Adeleke wrote.
“The credit for our victory goes to God Almighty and the good people of Osun State for their overwhelming support and re-election.
“For the sake of history, it is important to clarify that the ADC was never part of the rainbow coalition that canvassed, mobilised, and supported our campaign in the battle leading to last Saturday’s election.”
Adeleke also commended the political partners who supported his campaign, saying their efforts contributed to his victory.
“I commend all our political partners who sacrificed, worked tirelessly, and went all out to make Saturday a victory day for all Osun people. Their commitment and support were instrumental to our success,” he said.
The governor said he would now focus on governing the state and promoting unity regardless of political differences.
“Now that the election is over, I remain the Governor of all Osun people, irrespective of political affiliation, religion, or tribe. My commitment is to unite our people and continue working for the progress and prosperity of Osun State,” Adeleke added.
