The Imole Campaign Council has dismissed speculation that Osun State Governor, Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, is planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing his recent visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a customary courtesy visit following the conclusion of the state’s governorship election.

The council said the meeting between Adeleke and Tinubu was focused on the peace, security and development of Osun State, insisting that the issue of the governor joining the ruling APC did not arise during the visit.

In a statement issued on Friday by the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Imole Campaign Council, Rep. Bamidele Salam, the council said Adeleke’s visit was in keeping with the political tradition associated with off-cycle elections.

“The Imole Campaign Council wishes to state that the visit by Osun State Governor, Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke to His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday is in line with customs and political tradition at the conclusion of off cycle elections in Nigeria,” Salam said.

According to the council, Adeleke, having emerged victorious in an off-cycle election, had a responsibility to show respect and appreciation to the President, particularly given Tinubu’s pre-election statements urging the electoral umpire and security agencies to ensure a free and fair election in Osun State.

The council said the meeting also provided an opportunity for the President and the governor to discuss issues relating to peace, security and the development of Osun State following a closely contested and politically charged election.

The clarification came amid speculation in political circles that Adeleke’s visit to the President could signal a possible move to the ruling party, a development that would have significant implications for the political landscape in Osun ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Imole Campaign Council, however, rejected the speculation, insisting that the governor’s visit had no connection with any plan to join the APC.

The Council expressed appreciation to Tinubu for granting the governor and members of his team an audience, while assuring Adeleke’s supporters of his continued commitment to governing the state, while urging
Its supporters to disregard reports suggesting that the governor’s visit was connected to an impending defection, maintaining that the engagement was undertaken in the interest of peace, stability and the development of Osun State.

An All Progressives Congress, APC chieftain, Babafemi Ojudu, has responded to recent criticism from party members over his comment on the alleged abandonment of construction work on the Akure–Ado-Ekiti road.

Ojudu, a former presidential media aide, had drawn the attention of the government to the state of the road, which he said leads to the city where he lives.

However, his post reportedly attracted backlash from some members of the ruling party, who viewed Ojudu’s comments as an attack on President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Reacting to the criticism in another Facebook post, Ojudu questioned why he was being attacked for drawing attention to an abandoned public project.

He argued that demanding accountability from the government is a citizen’s right and should not be interpreted as disloyalty to a political party.

“What manner of citizens are we becoming? Does belonging to a political party require surrendering one’s conscience, citizenship and right to demand accountability? Must party loyalty mean applauding everything and questioning nothing?” he asked.

Ojudu said drawing attention to abandoned public infrastructure that affects citizens and communities should be regarded as a patriotic responsibility.

“My membership of the APC does not deprive me of my rights and responsibilities as a Nigerian. I can commend the government when it performs well and question it when something appears to have gone wrong.

A member of the House of Representatives, Bamidele Salaam, has said the police in Osun State were the “most disappointing” institution in the events leading to the 2026 governorship election.

National Assembly

In an interview with AIT, Salaam criticised the state of Nigeria’s electoral institutions, saying their failure to earn public trust remains a major challenge to credible elections. He specifically faulted the police and other security agencies for their handling of events before the Osun poll.

“The problem we have with our electoral system is that we have institutions that are extremely weak. Institutions that have not been able to earn the trust and the confidence of the people. And these are institutions that are critical to delivering on free, fair, credible, and peaceful election. The Nigerian police, the INEC, and other security agencies, and the police in particular in Osun has been the most disappointing of the institutions.

He said the situation was particularly concerning because of the incidents recorded before the election, including killings and the destruction of campaign billboards. According to him, the police could have prevented some of the incidents if they had acted within their constitutional powers.

“I say this without any apology. The most disappointing institutions in the event preceding the election. All these killings, wanton destruction of billboards and what have you that you had, would not have, you know, continued if the police in Osun under the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olokode, had acted decisively and in accordance with the powers donated to the police by the Nigerian Constitution, especially going by the vicious campaign that the APC ran against us in Osun. Very vicious, very deadly, very bitter, you know, contentions that they did to hijack power in Osun.”

On Governor Ademola Adeleke’s political position, Salaam said the governor remained committed to his earlier promise to support President Bola Tinubu, stressing that the decision should not be interpreted as a betrayal of his party.

“But the Governor is a man of his word. He doesn’t want to go back on the commitments he gave since he was even in the PDP, and he still continues to say, ‘Well, I will support the President because…’ You know, one, I want us to deepen the respect for the North-South, you know, power.”

Salaam added that Adeleke’s support for the President was also linked to ongoing projects and reforms in Osun State, which he said the governor wanted to complete.

“Number two, he has projects that he’s also executing in our state that we want to support him to be able to complete. He has reforms that he’s initiated that we want him to be able to complete and so on and so forth.”

He maintained that Adeleke had no plan to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the governor would remain in Accord and work to strengthen the party ahead of future elections.

“So, it’s not a matter of betrayal. Accord has no presidential candidate, and the Governor is not planning to leave Accord. He’s not going to the APC. He’s staying in his party to build this party into a platform that can win elections in so many other parts of the country in the years ahead.”