ADC Reveals Strategic Collaboration with Accord Party to Defeat APC in Osun Governorship Election

ADC Reveals Strategic Collaboration with Accord Party to Defeat APC in Osun Governorship Election

The African Democratic Congress has disclosed that it entered into a deliberate electoral collaboration with the Accord Party during the August 15 Osun State governorship election specifically to prevent the All Progressives Congress from reclaiming power in the state. The revelation comes as the party’s national publicity secretary defended its unexpectedly low vote tally, arguing that the primary objective was not victory for its own candidate but the defeat of the APC. The ADC’s governorship candidate, Najeem Salaam, polled 17,180 votes in the election, coming a distant third behind incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, who won with 511,067 votes, and APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes. Despite the wide margin, the ADC has framed its performance as a strategic success rather than an electoral failure, setting the stage for renewed discussions about opposition alliances ahead of the 2027 general election.

Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, made the disclosure on Monday during an interview with Trust TV while evaluating the party’s performance in the Osun election. He explained that the party had identified early on that a division of opposition votes could hand victory to the APC, prompting discussions about working with the Accord Party. Abdullahi stated that the party saw the possibility of collaboration early enough, recognizing that if they decided to go full throttle, the opposition would divide the votes and the APC would take the victory. He said this was why they saw the opportunity to work together, and that was exactly what happened. The ADC spokesperson said the party did not regard its candidate’s low vote tally as a failure, arguing that its broader objective was to prevent the APC from returning to power in Osun State. He explained that this was why they could confidently celebrate what was going on in Osun, because for them, victory meant that the APC was defeated. He added that they did not see the fact that their governorship candidate did not emerge as an occasion of defeat or failure, insisting that the failure and defeat of the APC was a real victory for them.

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When asked whether the ADC had directed its supporters to vote for Adeleke, Abdullahi responded that the party cooperated with the Accord Party. He added that the decision had the backing of the ADC leadership and was part of a deliberate strategy to prevent the APC from reclaiming the state. Abdullahi said the outcome of the Osun election demonstrated the potential strength of opposition parties if they could work together ahead of the 2027 general election. He described the collaboration as something that was deliberate, and expressed gladness that the outcome had justified the confidence that everyone had put in the process. He said it had proved that the opposition working together could actually defeat the incumbent, no matter how awesome they were. However, the ADC spokesperson rejected the idea that the party should take sole credit for Adeleke’s victory, stressing that the electorate ultimately determined the result. He said that when he said they were not taking credit, he meant that the credit belonged to the people of Osun State. He added that the victory belonged to Ademola Adeleke, who, in spite of all odds, still managed to emerge as the governor of Osun State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Governor Ademola Adeleke winner of the August 15, 2026 election after he secured 511,067 votes, defeating his closest rival, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. The ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, scored 17,180 votes, coming a distant third on the ballot. Adeleke won 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji carried the remaining 11 councils. The victory gives Adeleke a second four-year term, making him only the second governor in Osun State’s history to win re-election, after former governor Rauf Aregbesola. The final tally gave Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes over Oyebamiji. Abdullahi also dismissed claims that the party’s poor performance was linked to resentment against its national secretary and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola. He described such claims as untrue and uncharitable, noting that the entire leadership of the party was in Osun in the days leading to the election and witnessed the kind of overwhelming support that Aregbesola still controlled in Osun State. The ADC spokesman described claims about Aregbesola’s treatment of civil servants while in office as oppositionality, saying Aregbesola remained popular in the state. He maintained that the ADC’s decision to collaborate with Accord was deliberate and not motivated by resentment or a desire to punish any political actor.

The disclosure offers insight into the opposition strategy that shaped the Osun election and could fuel renewed discussions about the possibility of a broader opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Abdullahi said the cooperation with Accord was a deliberate decision whose outcome, he said, had validated the strategy and proved that opposition parties working together could defeat the ruling APC, no matter how awesome they are. At the time of the reports, neither the Accord Party nor Governor Ademola Adeleke had confirmed the opposition alliance in the Osun governorship election. The APC, which recorded its highest-ever vote total in Osun at 444,815 votes, said it was reviewing the results and may explore legal options under the Electoral Act. The election outcome and the ADC’s disclosure have therefore set the stage for intense political realignments as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general election, with opposition parties exploring various strategies to challenge the ruling APC at the national level.

ADC Reveals Strategic Collaboration with Accord Party to Defeat APC in Osun Governorship Election