The African Democratic Congress says its decision to work with the Accord Party in the August 15 Osun governorship election was a deliberate strategy to prevent the All Progressives Congress from returning to power.

The ADC said the outcome proved that opposition unity can defeat the ruling party, and cited it as a template for 2027.

Speaking on Monday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party foresaw a split in opposition votes that could have handed victory to the APC.

“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.

“And that was why we saw the opportunity to work together, and that was what happened.”

The ADC’s governorship candidate, Najeem Salaam, polled 17,180 votes. Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, who contested on the platform of Accord, won with 511,067 votes. 

Adeleke defeated Bola Oyebamiji of the APC, who got 444,815 votes.

Abdullahi said the ADC does not consider its candidate’s performance a loss because the party’s main goal was achieved.

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

“So we don’t see the fact that our governorship candidate did not emerge as an occasion of defeat or failure. The failure, the defeat of the APC, was a real victory for us.”

When asked if the ADC directed supporters to vote for Adeleke, he replied: “We cooperated with the Accord party.” He added that the decision had the backing of the ADC leadership.

Abdullahi said the Osun cooperation shows that opposition parties can unseat the APC in the 2027 presidential election if they unite.

“It’s something that was deliberate, and we are glad that the outcome has justified the confidence that everyone has put in the process, and it has proved that the opposition working together can actually defeat this incumbent, no matter how awesome they are,” he said.

However, he stressed the ADC would not claim sole credit.

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

Source: Arise news