African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Dele Momodu, has said opposition parties must set aside individual interests and align behind Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party in Osun State for a second term, considering the manner in which the All Progressives Congress (APC) has turned the state into a theatre of war.
NEWSNGR reports that Momodu, in a statement on Tuesday, warned that opposition parties should avoid handing the APC any excuse to manipulate the outcome of the election.
He said, “It would be foolhardy not to see that with the manner APC has turned Osun State into a theater of war, the only sensible strategy is for all opposition parties to align immediately and back the Accord Party candidate, Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“I make this declaration without equivocation, or any fear of contradiction.
“We should never supply the APC an easy alibi to rig the Osun gubernatorial election on August 15, 2026.”
The former presidential aspirant described Adeleke as a global phenomenon who could defeat President Bola Tinubu in a popularity contest, stressing that his endorsement of the Governor was not informed by friendship or family ties.
Momodu maintained that the time had come for opposition parties to confront reality and act with practical commonsense, adding that the situation in Osun State informed his decision to back a candidate outside his own party.
He stated, “This is not based on friendship or family ties. Governor Adeleke has been a global phenomenon who would easily defeat President Tinubu himself in a popularity contest.
“Adeleke is primus inter pares amongst Nigerian Governors, in order of extraordinary performance in infrastructure, health, education, staff welfare, labour unions, IGR, agriculture, commerce, culture, women empowerment, youth integration, etc.”
According to Dele Momodu, he remained a proud member of the ADC despite endorsing Governor Adeleke.
He explained that he joined the ADC because prominent opposition figures decided to form a broad coalition against the APC cankerworm that has destroyed Nigeria.
Momodu said he had hoped the coalition would not need to start afresh, since the ADC had earlier paraded the second, third and fourth-placed candidates in the 2023 presidential election.
He, however, said the coalition did not eventually materialise as envisaged.
The statement added, “I joined ADC on the basis that prominent members of opposition parties in Nigeria decided to form a broad coalition of forces against the APC cankerworm that has almost destroyed our economy, social cohesion, religious tolerance and democratic institutions and separation of powers.
“I had prayed fervently against the demon, and clash, of voluptuous egos. I wished we won’t have to reinvent the wheels since the ADC initially paraded the second, third and fourth leading candidates in the 2023 presidential election.
“Unfortunately, it did not turn out to be so. But I still did not give up on the hope that Nigerians, not just the parties, would rise up massively against the APC menace.”
