Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has rejected claims by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that the party worked with his Accord Party to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the August 15 governorship election.
Adeleke defeated APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and ADC candidate Najeem Salaam, securing 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815 and Salaam’s 17,180 votes. Adeleke won 19 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured the remaining 11.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said the party collaborated with Accord to ensure Adeleke’s victory.
“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.”
However, Adeleke dismissed the claim in a statement on Tuesday, saying the ADC was not part of the coalition that supported his campaign.
“I had no electoral deal or partnership with the ADC before, during, or after the governorship election,” the governor 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.
“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.
“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.”
