The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has dismissed allegations by Governor Ademola Adeleke that the opposition party plans to use federal influence to manipulate the governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, described the accusation as baseless, claiming it was an attempt by the governor’s camp to prepare excuses ahead of the election.
Olabisi said the allegation followed remarks made during a stakeholders’ meeting of the Accord Party where Adeleke reportedly warned that the APC intended to deploy federal authority during the poll.
Responding to the claim, the APC spokesman insisted that the party had no plan to influence the electoral process through unlawful means, stressing that it was confident of victory based on what he described as growing support across the state.
“The allegation that our party intends to rely on federal might to win the governorship election is a mere figment of the imagination of rumour mongers,” Olabisi said.
He maintained that the party had instead focused on political mobilisation and strategic planning ahead of the election, adding that such efforts would determine the outcome of the poll.
The APC also pointed to recent political developments in the state, claiming that several prominent figures who were once associated with the governor’s political structure had joined its ranks.
Among those mentioned were Shuaib Oyedokun, Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi and Wole Oke, whom the party said had strengthened its prospects in the forthcoming election.
Olabisi further cited the defection of other political figures, including Dotun Babayemi and Akin Ogunbiyi, noting that their support had boosted the party’s campaign efforts.
According to him, these developments reflect shifting political alignments in the state ahead of the election.
The spokesman added that the APC’s candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, was gaining increasing support across communities in Osun.
“Our governorship candidate is a serious contender who is going into the August 2026 election to win convincingly without resorting to fraudulent means,” Olabisi stated.
Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke has continued to warn against what he described as attempts to intimidate voters during the electoral process.
Addressing leaders and ward officials of the Accord Party across the 332 wards in Osun State during a meeting in Osogbo, the governor stressed that federal authority should be used for governance rather than electoral interference.
“Federal might is for good governance, not election rigging,” Adeleke said, while urging voters to remain vigilant ahead of the election.
He also appealed to residents to protect the integrity of the electoral process, insisting that the outcome of the election should reflect the will of the people.
