OsunDecides2026: ‘We Didn’t Fail, We Worked With Accord’ — ADC
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has defended its performance in the 2026 Osun State governorship election, saying its decision to work with the Accord Party, which won the election, was a deliberate strategy aimed at preventing the All Progressives Congress (APC) from returning to power in the state.
The ADC, whose candidate recorded a relatively small number of votes in the election held on Saturday, August 15, 2026, said it did not consider the outcome a failure because its major objective was to ensure that opposition votes did not become too fragmented in a way that could hand victory to the APC.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed this on Monday while speaking with Trust TV about the party’s performance in the election.
According to Abdullahi, the ADC identified the possibility of opposition votes being divided among several candidates early in the electoral process and concluded that a strategic understanding with Accord would give the opposition a better chance of defeating the APC.
IROYIN YORUBA reports that the incumbent governor and Accord Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, won the election with 511,067 votes.
The APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, finished second with 444,815 votes, while the ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
Although there was a wide gap between Salaam’s votes and those secured by the two leading candidates, Abdullahi maintained that the ADC's performance should not be judged simply by the number of votes its candidate received.
‘We Saw the Danger of Divided Opposition Votes’
Explaining the party's strategy, Abdullahi said the ADC realised early that contesting the election independently with full strength could lead to the opposition vote being divided, thereby creating an opportunity for the APC to win.
He said:
“We saw that it was possible to collaborate. And we saw this early that if we decided to fight the election with all our strength, it was possible for the opposition votes to be divided among several parties, and APC could win.”
He added:
“That was why we saw the opportunity to work together, and that was what happened.”
According to the ADC spokesman, the party therefore regarded its cooperation with Accord as a strategic decision rather than an indication that it was incapable of competing in the election.
He said the party's objective was not necessarily limited to having its own candidate emerge as governor but also included preventing the APC from regaining control of Osun State.
ADC Says APC’s Defeat Was Its Own Victory
The ADC has been seeking to position itself as one of the major political forces capable of challenging the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, the party has struggled to secure a significant share of votes in several elections, often recording less than 10 per cent of the total votes cast.
In Osun State, where the ADC’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, served as governor in the past, the party secured less than five per cent of the votes cast in the 2026 governorship election.
Despite this, Abdullahi said the party's political calculation in the latest election was broader than the performance of its candidate.
Asked whether the ADC specifically directed its supporters in Osun to vote for Adeleke, Abdullahi said the party “worked together with Accord Party.”
He added that the decision had the backing of the party's leadership.
According to him, the party's definition of success in the election was not simply about its candidate becoming governor but also about stopping the APC from taking control of the state.
He said:
“That is why we can confidently celebrate what is happening in Osun, because for us, victory means that APC has lost.”
He further stated:
“So, we do not consider the fact that our governorship candidate did not win as a failure. The defeat and failure of APC is a real victory for us.”
ADC Links Osun Strategy to 2027 Elections
Abdullahi said the outcome of the Osun election demonstrated that opposition parties could defeat the APC in the 2027 elections if they were willing to put aside their differences and work together.
He described the collaboration between the ADC and Accord as a deliberate political decision, saying the result had demonstrated the potential of such an arrangement.
He said:
“What we did was a deliberate decision, and we are happy that the outcome has validated the confidence that people had in the strategy. It has shown that if opposition parties work together, they can defeat an incumbent government, no matter how powerful it may be.”
According to him, the Osun experience could therefore serve as an example for other opposition parties seeking to challenge the ruling APC at the national level.
The ADC spokesman suggested that opposition parties would need to consider areas of common interest rather than allowing differences between them to weaken their chances at the polls.
ADC Gives Credit to Adeleke and Osun Voters
Despite claiming that the APC's defeat represented a victory for its strategy, Abdullahi said the ADC would not take full credit for Adeleke's victory.
He said the major credit should go to the people of Osun State and the Accord candidate himself.
According to him, the election was ultimately won by the people of the state and Adeleke, who was able to overcome the political challenges surrounding the contest.
He said:
“When I say that we are not taking the credit for ourselves, what we are saying is that the credit belongs to the people of Osun State.”
He added:
“The victory belongs to Ademola Adeleke, who, despite all the challenges, was still able to win and become the Governor of Osun State again.”
The statement places the ADC's role within the wider opposition strategy rather than presenting the party as the sole reason for Adeleke's victory.
Adeleke Backs Tinubu Despite Election Politics
Despite the ADC's description of the election as a setback for the APC, Adeleke has expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as impartiality during the election.
Following his victory, the Osun governor also reaffirmed his support for Tinubu's return as President in 2027, despite Adeleke's victory being recorded on the platform of Accord Party.
The development has added another dimension to the political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections, as alliances between political parties and individual politicians continue to evolve.
For the ADC, however, the major lesson from Osun is that opposition cooperation can prevent vote splitting and create a stronger challenge against the ruling party.
The party now hopes that the strategy demonstrated in Osun can be developed further as political parties prepare for the wider contest ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Láti ọwọ́ Sharon Eboesomi