Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress and publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, has urged opposition parties in Osun State to unite behind Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party ahead of the August 16 governorship election.

Momodu said opposition unity was necessary to prevent the All Progressives Congress from exploiting divisions among its rivals to rig the election.

In a statement on X on Tuesday, the ADC chieftain said he joined the party as part of a broader coalition aimed at challenging what he described as the “APC cankerworm”, which he accused of negatively affecting Nigeria’s economy, social cohesion, religious tolerance and democratic institutions.

He said the opposition had initially planned to avoid the mistakes of previous elections by presenting a formidable alternative to the APC.

“I had prayed fervently against the demon and clash of voluptuous egos. I wished we wouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel since the ADC initially paraded the second, third and fourth leading candidates in the 2023 presidential election.

“Unfortunately, it did not turn out to be so. But I still did not give up on the hope that Nigerians, not just the parties, would rise up massively against the APC menace,” Momodu said.

He said the political situation in Osun had made it imperative for opposition parties to put aside their individual ambitions and work towards a common objective.

“It’s foolhardy not to see the need for opposition unity,” he said.

Momodu urged opposition politicians to “confront reality” and adopt what he described as a practical approach ahead of the election.

“The time has now come for us to confront reality and demonstrate that we indeed possess common sense by being demonstrably practical,” he said.

He argued that the political atmosphere in Osun required opposition parties to immediately close ranks and support Adeleke.

“With the manner APC has turned Osun State into a theatre of war, the only sensible strategy is for all opposition parties to align immediately and back the Accord Party candidate, Governor Ademola Adeleke,” Momodu said.

He urged opposition stakeholders to prioritise the larger political objective over individual ambitions, stressing that a divided opposition could give the APC an advantage in the election.