Osun 2026: Tension deepens as APC, Adeleke campaign councils trade words

The political atmosphere ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State intensified on Tuesday as The Imole Campaign Council, TICC, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, exchanged accusations over Governor Ademola Adeleke’s comments on political violence and security in the state.

The latest disagreement followed remarks made by Governor Adeleke during the Accord governorship campaign rally in Olorunda Local Government, where he appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in what he described as rising political tension ahead of the election.

Responding to the governor’s comments, the Accord Campaign Council maintained that Adeleke neither attacked nor insulted the President, insisting that his appeal was intended to draw attention to alleged insecurity and political intimidation in the state.

In a statement signed by the Director-General of the Imole Campaign Council, Senator Lere Oyewumi, the council said the governor merely called on President Tinubu, as the nation’s leader, to ensure a peaceful and credible governorship election.

According to Oyewumi, “Governor Adeleke only called the attention of President Tinubu to the ongoing repression and intimidation of Osun residents and urged the President to call the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, to order to stop a recurrence of political violence witnessed in the past.”

The Accord campaign organisation further alleged that several of its members had been killed or injured in politically-related attacks in recent months. 

It claimed that seven party members had lost their lives, more than 20 sustained gunshot injuries and over 60 supporters remained in police detention.

The council also alleged that some of its members had been subjected to repeated attacks, while urging security agencies to ensure fairness in enforcing the law throughout the election period.

However, the Osun APC Governorship Campaign Council rejected the governor’s claims, describing his allegations against President Tinubu as false and without evidence. 

In a statement signed by its Director-General, Wole Oke, the party accused Adeleke of attempting to politicise security concerns ahead of the election.

The APC stated that the governor’s claim that the Federal Government was withholding allocations meant for Osun’s 30 local government councils was inaccurate, maintaining that the recognised local government administration had continued to receive statutory allocations.

The campaign council accused the governor of attempting to portray President Tinubu as hostile to Osun people, insisting that the President remained committed to constitutional governance and democratic principles.

The APC also alleged that more than 30 of its members and supporters had been killed since 2022, claiming that many of the attacks were carried out by individuals it described as political thugs aligned with the ruling Accord administration. 

“Rather than distracting the public from discussing his administration, Governor Adeleke should prepare to accept the verdict of the electorate with maturity and dignity,” the statement said.