Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s accusations that the opposition party intends to use federal influence to rig the upcoming governorship election on August 15, 2026, have been denied by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party insisted that it had no intention of using illegal tactics to influence the electoral process, calling the accusation unfounded.
Kola Olabisi, the party’s director of media and information, said in a statement released on Sunday that the charges were baseless and intended to set the stage for defeat in the next election.
Olabisi claims that the governor’s comments came after Adeleke allegedly accused the APC of preparing to exploit federal power during the election at an Accord Party stakeholders’ gathering.
A representative for the APC denied the accusation, saying that the party is still dedicated to a free and fair election process.
Olabisi stated, “The opposition party believes it can win the election based on its growing support across the state and has no intention of influencing the electoral process through unlawful means.”
“The claim that our party plans to use federal power to win the governorship election is a complete fabrication of some gossipers.”
Prior to the election, Olabisi continued, the party had been concentrating on genuine political mobilization and strategic preparation.
He said that the outcome of the governorship campaign would be determined by these legitimate political actions rather than any purported government interference.
As the election drew near, he claimed that the APC’s campaign operations had been gathering steam throughout the state.
The party also cited recent political changes in the state, asserting that a number of well-known politicians who had previously been connected to the governor’s political apparatus had joined the APC.
Shuaib Oyedokun, Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, and Wole Oke were among those mentioned; the party claimed that their defection had improved its chances in the upcoming governorship contest.
Olabisi added that the party’s campaign efforts had been strengthened by the defection of other political personalities, such as Dotun Babayemi and Akin Ogunbiyi.
These changes showed “shifting political alignments in the state ahead of the election,” according to the spokesman.
Additionally, the APC declared confidence in Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, widely known as AMBO, as their candidate for governor.
Olabisi claims that support for the candidacy has been growing throughout the state’s communities.
Olabisi declared, “Our candidate for governor is a serious contender who is going into the August 2026 election to win convincingly without resorting to fraudulent means.”
Governor Adeleke, meantime, has persisted in voicing worries about what he called tactics to scare voters before the poll.
The governor issued a warning against the abuse of federal power during the election process while addressing leaders and ward officials of the Accord Party from all 332 of Osun State’s wards in Osogbo.
He emphasized that federal authority should only be utilized for governance and not for meddling in elections.
According to Adeleke, “federal might is for good governance, not election rigging.”
Additionally, the governor called on the people of the state to maintain their vigilance and protect the integrity of the electoral process.
He believes that the election’s result should represent the people’s true intentions.
“The people’s votes alone will decide who leads the state,” he continued.
