We Worked With Accord to Stop APC From Reclaiming Osun – ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has revealed that it collaborated with the Accord Party during the August 15 Osun State governorship election to prevent the All Progressives Congress (APC) from reclaiming power in the state.

The ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed this on Trust TV on Monday while assessing the party’s performance in the election.

ADC governorship candidate Najeem Salaam polled 17,180 votes, while incumbent 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 a division of opposition votes could create an opportunity for the APC to win the election, prompting the party to work 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 added:

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

‘APC Defeat Was Victory for Us’

Abdullahi said the ADC did not consider the low number of votes secured by its candidate a failure because the party’s major objective 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 said the party therefore regarded the defeat of the APC as a victory for the ADC.

> “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.”

Asked whether the ADC directed its supporters to vote for Adeleke, Abdullahi said the party collaborated with Accord as part of a deliberate strategy approved by its leadership.

ADC Says Opposition Can Defeat APC in 2027

The ADC spokesperson said the outcome of the Osun election demonstrated that opposition parties could defeat the APC in the 2027 presidential election if they were willing to work together.

> “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.”

Abdullahi, however, rejected any attempt to claim sole credit for Adeleke’s victory, saying the people of Osun deserved the credit.

> “When I say that we are not taking credit, we are saying that the credit belongs to the people of Osun State.”

He added:

> “The victory belongs to Ademola Adeleke, who, in spite of all odds, still managed to emerge as the governor of Osun State.”

The disclosure has added to the growing debate over opposition cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections, with parties increasingly examining alliances and vote-sharing strategies as they seek to challenge the ruling APC.