From Ganiyu Olarewaju (Oshogbo)

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has countered claims by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that it formed an alliance with the re elected Accord Party candidate to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) on last Saturday’s election 

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said On Tuesday  that it worked with the Accord Party during the August 15 Osun governorship election to prevent the All Progressives Congress (APC) from winning the poll, 

The ADC national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi made the disclosure while speaking on Trust TV about the outcome of the election., where the party’s candidate, Najeem Salaam, came a distant third, polling only 17,180 votes, while Accord candidate and incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, won with 511,067 votes. with the APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji polling 444,815 votes to come second 

Abdullahi said the ADC anticipated that a division of opposition votes could hand victory to the APC, prompting the party to consider collaboration with Accord.

“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,” he said.

“And that was why we saw the opportunity to work together, and that was what happened.”

He said the ADC did not regard the 17,180 votes secured by its candidate as a failure because the party’s priority was to prevent the APC from returning to power in Osun.

“That is why we can confidently celebrate what is going on in Osun, because for us, victory means that APC was defeated,” he added.

“So we don’t see the fact that our governorship candidate did not emerge as an occasion of defeat or failure. The failure, the defeat of the APC, was a real victory for us.

 “We cooperated with the Accord party and the decision was supported by the ADC leadership.

Abdullahi said the cooperation demonstrated that opposition parties could defeat the APC in the 2027 presidential election if they united behind a common objective.

“It’s something that was deliberate, and we are glad that the outcome has justified the confidence that everyone has put in the process, and it has proved that the opposition working together can actually defeat this incumbent, no matter how awesome they are,” he said.

But in a swift response, governor Adeleke refuted  the ADC claims insisting that the party  and their supporters did not play any role in his re-election

The governor emphasised that he had no electoral agreement or partnership with the ADC as a political party before, during, or after the governorship election.

Governor Adeleke In a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Governor reiterated that his victory was made possible by God and the people of Osun State.

He emphasised that the ADC was never part of the coalition that campaigned for and supported his bid in last Saturday’s election.

“I commend the political partners who went all out to make Saturday a victory day for all Osun people. However, for the sake of history, we must clarify that the ADC was never part of this alliance,” the governor stated.

He added, “Now that the election is over, I am the governor of all Osun people, irrespective of political affiliation, religion, or race.”

By Nkem Okereh 

Former vice president and presidential candidate of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubarkar, and his Allied Peoples Movement (APM) counterpart and governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde, were absent as political parties and their presidential and National Assembly candidates on Tuesday signed the first National Peace Accord on issue-based campaigns for the 2027 general elections.

President Bola Tinubu was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, who signed on his behalf 

The parties and the candidates pledged to shun violence, hate speech, personal attacks, misinformation and other forms of conduct capable of undermining the electoral process.

The signing ceremony, which was organised by the National Peace Committee in partnership with The Kukah Centre, took place in Abuja on the eve of the official commencement of campaigns for the 2027 general elections

Present at the signing ceremony was the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Joash Amupitan, as well as several political party leaders and their presidential candidates 

 Chairman of the National Peace Committee, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), was represented by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (retd).

The SGF, who represented president Tinubu’ at the occasion, called on political actors to place national interest above personal and partisan ambitions, saying elections should not be treated as a do-or-die affair.

He commended the National Peace Committee for sustaining its peace initiatives since 2014 and noted that the committee had played an important role in encouraging political parties and candidates to commit themselves to peaceful and issue-based campaigns.

“Signing this peace accord is a solemn pledge to the Nigerian people that we, as leaders, will put the nation’s interests above personal or partisan ambitions,” Tinubu said.

The president acknowledged the tension that often accompanies political contests in Nigeria but said the country had made considerable progress in electoral management, particularly through the adoption of technology by INEC.

“It is natural during campaigns to disagree as opponents and advocate competing governing missions for our country. We may exchange occasional political jabs, but as members of the same household, the same national family, we must never resort to divisive and primordial sentiments of ethnicity or religion as tools for seeking power.

“Let us campaign on superior ideas. Let us debate issues and promote the best policies to expand opportunities for our people,” he said.

By Ganiyu Olarewaju (Oshogbo)

Even as the re elected governor of Odin state, Ademola Adeleke has reaffirmed his endorsement of president Bola Tinubu’s second term, moments after he was declared winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Odin state, his Campaign Council, the Imole Campaign Council has denied any political agreement behind the governor’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

The council noted that Adeleke’s support for Tinubu was based on the President’s performance and reforms, rather than a pre-arranged political deal.

The campaign council made the statement in reaction by to remarks by the Aviation Minister and Aero Space Development ,Festus Keyamo, who noted that “Agreement is Agreement” while congratulating the governor 

Keyamo wrote, “Thank you, Governor Ademola Adeleke, for the public and unequivocal endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT for the 2027 Presidential Election. You are a man of integrity and honour. ‘Agreement is agreement.’”

Reacting to the post, the  Imole campaign council’s spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, said this in a post on his X handle on Sunday. said the comment should not undermine the choice made by Osun voters in the August 15 governorship election.

He wrote: “Do not undermine the resilience of Osun people. There is no agreement

“Our support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, @officialABAT, is based on his performance and reforms that have strengthened states economically.”

Olajengbesi said Adeleke’s victory was a product of the voters’ decision and maintained that Tinubu only ensured that the democratic process was respected.

“Osun people voted @AAdeleke_01. President Tinubu simply ensured democratic rules were respected,” he said.