The All Progressives Congress in Osun State has rejected claims by Governor Ademola Adeleke that the opposition party plans to rely on federal influence to sway the governorship election scheduled for the 15th of August, 2026.
In a statement released on Sunday, the 15th of March, 2026, the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, described the allegation as baseless and suggested it was part of efforts by the governor’s camp to create excuses ahead of the poll.
Olabisi said the accusation followed comments made during a stakeholders’ meeting of the Accord Party, where Adeleke claimed the APC was planning to use federal authority to influence the electoral process.
Responding to the claim, the APC spokesman said the party had no plan to interfere with the election through illegal means and was confident of victory based on the level of support it has continued to receive across the state.
According to him, “the opposition party has no intention of influencing the electoral process through unlawful means and believes it can win the election based on its growing support across the state.
“The allegation that our party intends to rely on federal might to win the governorship election is a mere figment of the imagination of some rumour mongers.”
He further said the party remained focused on grassroots mobilisation and internal political strategy ahead of the election, stressing that these efforts would shape the final outcome.
He added that the “APC had been focusing on legitimate political mobilisation and strategic planning ahead of the election, insisting that such efforts would determine the outcome of the poll.”
The party also referred to recent political shifts within the state, noting that several influential figures who were once associated with the governor’s political camp had since aligned with the APC.
Those mentioned included Shuaib Oyedokun, Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi and Wole Oke, whose involvement, the party said, had strengthened its political base ahead of the election.
Olabisi also highlighted the defection of politicians such as Dotun Babayemi and Akin Ogunbiyi, noting that their entry into the party had added momentum to its campaign activities.
According to the APC, “these developments demonstrate what a shifting political alignments in the state ahead of the election.”
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He added that the party’s governorship candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, was attracting growing support from different communities across the state.
“Our governorship candidate is a serious contender who is going into the August 2026 election to win convincingly without resorting to fraudulent means,” Olabisi stated.
Meanwhile, Governor Ademola Adeleke has continued to raise concerns over what he described as possible attempts to intimidate voters ahead of the election.
Speaking to leaders and ward officials of the Accord Party across Osun’s 332 wards in Osogbo, the governor said federal authority should be applied to governance rather than used to influence elections.
“Federal might is for good governance, not election rigging,” Adeleke said, while urging voters to remain vigilant ahead of the election.
He also called on residents to protect the credibility of the electoral process, insisting that “only the votes of the people will determine who governs the state.”