‘No deal with ADC’ — Adeleke counters Bolaji Abdullahi’s claim on Osun election victory

Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, has countered remarks by
Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the African Democratic
Congress (ADC), that the party cooperated with Accord to defeat the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election.

 

Adeleke defeated Bola Oyebamiji, the APC candidate, and
Najeem Salaam, the ADC flagbearer, in the keenly contested election on August
15.

The incumbent governor and candidate of Accord polled
511,067 votes to defeat his closest rival, Oyebamiji of the APC, who secured
444,815 votes, while Salaam of the ADC garnered 17,180 votes.

The governor clinched 19 LGAs, while Oyebamiji, the APC
candidate won the remaining 11.

Speaking on Monday during an interview on Trust TV,
Abdullahi said the ADC collaborated with Accord to secure Adeleke’s re-election
and hand the APC a bitter defeat.

He said the ADC had anticipated thaat opposition votes would
be divided, creating an opportunity for the APC to emerge victorious.

“We saw the possibility of collaboration. 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.”

‘NO DEAL WITH THE ADC’

In a statement on Tuesday by Olawale Rasheed, his media
aide, Adeleke dismissed the claim, saying, “I’ve no deal with ADC to win my
re-election”.

While crediting God and the people of Osun for his
re-election, Adeleke said the ADC was never part of the rainbow coalition that
canvassed and supported his bid in last Saturday’s election.

He commended his political partners who sacrificed to make
the aspirations of Osun people a reality.

“I commend political partners who went all out to make
Saturday a victory day for all Osun people. But we must clarify for the sake of
history that ADC was never part of the alliance,” the governor was quoted as
saying.

“Now that the election is over, I am a governor of all Osun
people irrespective of political groups, religion or race.”

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