Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state against invoking the name of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
Adeleke said the opposition party does not have the backing of the president and should stop suggesting that federal institutions would be deployed to influence the outcome of the poll scheduled for August 15, 2026.
The governor made the remarks while addressing leaders and ward officials of the enlarged Accord Party across the 332 wards in the state.
His comments were contained in a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed.
According to the statement, Adeleke criticised what he described as repeated threats by the Osun APC to deploy “federal might” during the election, urging the ruling party at the national level to allow voters freely determine who governs the state.
“The governor berated the Osun APC for dragging President Bola Tinubu’s name in the mud through its constant vow to deploy federal institutions to rig forthcoming elections, clarifying that Mr President, as a democrat, is not involved in such anti-democratic boasts,” the statement said.
Adeleke maintained that the president was focused on governance and national development rather than partisan political interference.
He cited several federal initiatives, including the reconstruction of the Ibadan-Ilesa road, student loan programmes, and the administration’s pledge to establish state police, as examples of efforts aimed at improving governance.
“The President is using federal power to deliver on good governance,” the statement added, noting that neither Tinubu nor his close associates support threats allegedly made by the Osun APC regarding the upcoming governorship election.
The governor, therefore, urged the opposition party to stop associating the president with actions that could undermine democratic processes.
“I task Osun APC to stop denigrating the names of Mr President and the Federal Government. Instead of supporting Mr President and showing the world that the number one citizen is a democrat in words and actions, Osun APC’s campaign slogans have been all the way anti-people and anti-democracy,” Adeleke said.
He further called on residents of the state to remain vigilant and prepare to exercise their civic rights during the election, stressing that the will of the people would prevail.
“Osun people are passionate about free and fair elections. Our people are insistent on their votes deciding who wins and who governs them. Our duty as candidates is to market our manifestoes and seek their votes. Only electoral bandits boast of rigging in a democracy,” he stated.
The governor also urged voters not to be intimidated by the alleged threats of federal influence.
“Your votes will determine the winners. No force can override the people and God. Ignore those threatening you with federal power. They don’t have the support of Mr President,” he added.
Meanwhile, leaders of the pro-Adeleke political coalition reiterated their backing for the governor’s re-election bid.
Chairman of the Imole Movement, Prof. Wale Oladipo, and the Osun State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Sunday Bisi, reaffirmed the party’s endorsement of Adeleke, urging party structures across the state to mobilise support ahead of the poll.
Similarly, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, who attended the meeting with other lawmakers, encouraged political leaders to intensify grassroots mobilisation.
Egbedun tasked stakeholders to target more than two million membership registrations for the Accord structure in the state, expressing confidence that Adeleke would secure a decisive victory in the August 15 governorship election.
