How ADC Helped Adeleke Defeat APC In Osun — Abdullahi Reveals Behind-The-Scenes Details

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has explained how the party collaborated with the Accord Party during the Osun State governorship election to prevent the All Progressives Congress (APC) from winning.

Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, secured 511,067 votes to defeat APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes. The ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished with 17,180 votes.

Speaking during an interview on Trust TV on Monday, Abdullahi said the ADC had anticipated that a full-scale campaign by opposition parties could split their votes and create an advantage for the APC.

According to him, the party therefore opted for cooperation with Accord to prevent the opposition vote from being divided.

“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 the ADC considered the defeat of the APC more important than the performance of its own candidate.

He explained that although Salaam did not win the election, the party regarded the outcome as a victory because the APC was prevented from retaining power in the state.

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

ADC Links Osun Outcome to 2027

Abdullahi said the Osun election had demonstrated that opposition parties could defeat the ruling APC in the 2027 general elections if they were willing to work together.

He described the cooperation as a deliberate strategy and said the result had strengthened the party’s belief in opposition collaboration.

“It has proved that the opposition working together can actually defeat this incumbent, no matter how awesome they are.”

However, Abdullahi said the ADC was not claiming responsibility for Adeleke’s victory, stressing that the credit belonged primarily to the people of Osun State and the governor.

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