Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, had alleged that elements within the All Progressives Congress (APC) were planning to disrupt the August 15, 2026 governorship election in the state, amid rising political tensions ahead of the poll.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor claimed that certain actors within the opposition party had resorted to what he described as anti-democratic tactics due to fears of losing the forthcoming election.
The statement alleged that internal assessments within the APC had shown a significant drop in public support, prompting what it called desperate political manoeuvres ahead of the election. According to the governor’s camp, opinion surveys conducted between late 2025 and March 2026 reportedly placed the APC’s popularity below 30 per cent, while Adeleke’s approval rating was said to be between 68 and 72 per cent.
“Having seen clearly that Osun people have rejected them, they are now resorting to anti-democratic means in a last-ditch effort to secure power,” the statement read, adding that the governor enjoyed overwhelming support across the state.
The statement further alleged that recent political remarks by Akin Ogunbiyi regarding President Bola Tinubu had deepened internal divisions within the Osun APC, particularly among factions linked to former governor Adegboyega Oyetola. It claimed these tensions had triggered increased political manoeuvring within the opposition ranks.
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It also accused the APC of attempting to destabilise other political platforms and pushing for their deregistration after failing to gain control of them, further escalating the war of words between both sides.
However, the APC swiftly dismissed the allegations. The party’s spokesperson in Osun State, Kola Olabisi, described the claims as baseless and suggested that they reflected anxiety within the governor’s camp rather than reality.
Olabisi argued that several prominent politicians had left the governor’s political circle, weakening its structure. He listed figures such as Wole Oke, Fadahunsi, Ajilesoro, Dotun Babayemi, and Akin Ogunbiyi among those who had departed.
“So, what is left of their party? Apart from the fact that their party is unpopular, it is also spineless,” Olabisi said, urging the public to disregard the governor’s comments.
The exchange highlighted the increasingly heated political atmosphere in Osun State as both major parties intensified positioning ahead of the 2026 governorship election, setting the stage for a highly competitive race.
