Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke on Tuesday received a major political boost ahead of the 15 August governorship election as supporters of former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Iyiola Omisore, announced their defection to the Accord and pledged support for the governor’s re-election bid.
The development came as Mr Adeleke formally launched his governorship campaign in Osogbo, the state capital, where he assured supporters that the Accord would remain on the ballot despite a recent Federal High Court judgement ordering the deregistration of the party and four others.
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Addressing party supporters and political allies at the rally, Mr Adeleke expressed confidence that legal efforts would overturn the judgement and preserve the party’s participation in the election.
“Let me start by assuring you all – Accord will be on the ballot; your votes will count; and I will be re-elected as your governor on August 15th,” the governor said, even as the Court of Appeal in Abuja halted the execution of the controversial judgement on Tuesday.
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“We will not bow to dark forces; we remain courageous, and we shall again be victorious by the special grace of God.”
The rally marked the official commencement of Mr Adeleke’s re-election campaign on the Accord platform. Mr Adeleke joined Accord last year following defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rocked by prolonged internal disputes over the party’s leadership structure.
A significant moment at the event was the endorsement of the governor by supporters of Mr Omisore, a former deputy governor of Osun State and influential political figure whose support base remains active across several parts of the state.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, former Commissioner for Education, Folorunso Oladoyin, said Mr Omisore’s supporters resolved to back Mr Adeleke after concluding that he remained the strongest candidate in the race.
“We, the supporters of Senator Iyiola Omisore, have decided to join Adeleke for his re-election,” Mr Oladoyin said.
According to him, some members of the APC had earlier advocated for Mr Omisore to emerge as the party’s governorship candidate but their proposal was rejected. He said Mr Adeleke’s electoral record demonstrated his political strength in Osun State.
“When Adeleke was alone without our support, he defeated our party three times. In 2022, he defeated us by more than 28,000 votes. Adeleke has done well throughout the state and deserves a second term,” he said.
Adeleke highlights achievements
Mr Adeleke used the occasion to highlight projects undertaken by his administration, including the payment of inherited salary arrears, settlement of pension obligations and rehabilitation of schools and road infrastructure.
READ ALSO: Adeleke dismisses judgement deregistering Accord, other parties, hails court victory in LG disputes
He also assured new entrants into the Accord of equal opportunities and participation in party affairs.
The governor further urged supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the election while expressing confidence that the party would secure victory at the polls.
The August governorship election is expected to witness a keen contest between the ruling Accord and other political parties, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC) which has intensified efforts to reclaim the control of the state which it lost to Mr Adeleke, then of the PDP, in 2022.
Mr Adeleke also reaffirmed his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, while calling on Osun voters to back the Accord in the forthcoming governorship poll.
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