Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has denied claims by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that the party collaborated with his Accord Party to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the August 15 governorship election.
Adeleke defeated APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji with 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji polled 444,815 votes and ADC candidate Najeem Salaam secured 17,180 votes. Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 LGAs, while Oyebamiji won the remaining 11.
ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, had said the party deliberately worked with Accord because it feared that a divided opposition could allow the APC to win the election.
“We saw the possibility of collaboration… and that was why we saw the opportunity to work together,” Abdullahi said.
However, Adeleke rejected the claim in a statement posted on X on Tuesday, insisting that there was no electoral agreement or partnership between his campaign and the ADC.
“I had no electoral deal or partnership with the ADC before, during, or after the governorship election,” Adeleke said.
The governor credited his victory to God and the people of Osun State, while saying the ADC was not part of the “rainbow coalition” that supported and mobilised voters for his campaign.
Adeleke thanked the political partners who worked with him during the election, saying their commitment contributed to the victory.
He also declared that, following the election, he remained governor of all Osun residents regardless of their political affiliation, religion or tribe.
“My commitment is to unite our people and continue working for the progress and prosperity of Osun State,” he said.
Source: Adeleke’s statement on X
