Former Osun State Governor and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Rauf Aregbesola, has dismissed reports that the party is negotiating an alliance with other political parties ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
Aregbesola, who spoke at an ADC solidarity rally in Ejigbo, Osun State, also rejected speculation that the party’s governorship candidate, Najeem Salaam, would step down for another candidate.
The former governor’s declaration came amid growing political realignments in the state ahead of the August 15 governorship election, with major political figures openly taking positions on the contest.
There had been reports on social media that the ADC was in talks with the Accord Party to support the re-election bid of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The speculation intensified after photographs of Adeleke and Aregbesola circulated on social media.
But Aregbesola, in a video from the Ejigbo rally, described the reports of an alliance as false, insisting that no political party had the financial strength to buy the ADC’s support base in Osun.
“They said we are holding meetings with some people. We are not in alliance with any political party,” Aregbesola said.
He added, “No political party can shoulder our responsibility. We are more in population than any other political party in Nigeria.”
The former governor said the ADC had previously maintained relationships with influential political figures but abandoned such relationships when they ceased to serve the interests of the party.
According to him, if money had been the motivation, he and his allies would not have walked away from previous political relationships.
“Assuming we were looking for money, we would not part ways with them. Nobody has the money to buy us. This election we would contest and win,” he declared.
Aregbesola also cited his political experience, including his eight years as a commissioner in Lagos State, eight years as governor of Osun State and his tenure as Minister of Interior, arguing that his political journey demonstrated that he was not driven by financial considerations.
He said the ADC would not compromise its political principles in pursuit of funding or alliances.
“We are not poor but we don’t beg. We are not wealthy but we don’t beg. We, at this stage, will not be chasing after money,” he said.
The ADC national secretary further said the party’s political objective was to serve the people, describing its mission as one rooted in commitment to the masses.
“How God will make us the saviour of the masses is our mission on earth,” he said.
“Whoever you see with us is an honest person. We are here to serve society. That was the covenant between us and God when we were coming.”
Political realignment intensifies
Aregbesola’s comments came barely a day after two prominent Osun politicians, former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore, declared support for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
Oyinlola, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, announced the endorsement alongside Omisore on Sunday.
Explaining their decision, Oyinlola said Osun required a new political direction, urging voters to support Oyebamiji in Saturday’s election.
“In this particular moment, Osun State requires a different direction. It is on this basis that we have resolved to officially declare our support for Mr Bola Oyebamiji,” Oyinlola said.
Oyebamiji subsequently described the endorsement as evidence of a shared conviction that Osun needed a new direction anchored on justice, fairness, inclusion and development.
With the governorship poll only days away, the latest endorsements and counterclaims have further heightened political manoeuvring among the leading parties and candidates in the state.
For the ADC, however, Aregbesola’s latest declaration signals that the party intends to proceed with its own candidate rather than surrender its political structure to another party.
The August 15 election is expected to determine whether the incumbent, Adeleke, will retain power or whether the opposition will succeed in taking control of the state.
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