The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has claimed it worked with the Accord Party during the August 15 Osun State governorship election to prevent the All Progressives Congress (APC) from returning to power in the state.
The ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the claim on Monday during an interview with Trust TV while discussing the party’s performance in the election.
The ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, polled 17,180 votes, while Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party won the election with 511,067 votes.
The APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, came second with 444,815 votes.
Abdullahi said the ADC had anticipated that the opposition vote could be divided, creating an advantage for the APC.
“We saw the possibility of collaboration,” he said, adding that the party recognised early enough that a divided opposition could allow the APC to win.
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He said the decision to cooperate with Accord was deliberate and supported by the leadership of the ADC.
Asked whether the ADC directed its supporters to vote for Adeleke, Abdullahi said, “We cooperated with the Accord party.”
He said the ADC did not consider its candidate’s poor performance a failure because its main objective was to stop the APC from reclaiming the state.
“That is why we can confidently celebrate what is going on in Osun, because for us, victory means that APC was defeated,” he said.
Abdullahi said the outcome demonstrated that opposition parties could defeat the ruling APC in the 2027 elections if they worked together.
He, however, said the ADC would not claim sole credit for Adeleke’s victory.
“When I say that we are not taking credit, we are saying that the credit belongs to the people of Osun State,” he said.
He added that the victory belonged to Adeleke, who secured a second term despite the challenges surrounding the election.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.