A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has distanced himself from his party's Osun State governorship candidate, Dr Najeem Folasayo Salaam (Iwaloye), and backed the re-election campaign of Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party.

This is despite his party's presidential candidate and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar moving to Osun to declare support for ADC's candidate Salaam.

Atiku openly declared his support on the ground by campaigning with Salaam and even sharing on social media, saying, "I have arrived in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, alongside a delegation of political associates, to stand with our governorship candidate, Dr Najeem Folasayo Salaam (Iwaloye), and our great party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), at the grand finale of our campaign ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

"We are here to rally support for our candidate and make a final appeal to the people of Osun State to entrust the ADC with the responsibility of delivering purposeful leadership, good governance and a better future for all."

However, Momodu, a staunch supporter of Atiku's presidential bid, has decided to go in the opposite direction from Atiku by backing Adeleke in Osun.

He based his decision on the allegation that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has turned Osun State into a theatre of war.

He then called on all opposition parties in the state to back the re-election campaign of incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Momodu said this on social media as Osun citizens head to the polls to elect a new governor on August 15, 2026.

He wrote on X, "Let me start by saying I'm a proud member of ADC. I joined ADC on the basis that prominent members of opposition parties in Nigeria decided to form a broad coalition of forces against the APC cankerworm that has almost destroyed our economy, social cohesion, religious tolerance and democratic institutions and separation of powers. I had prayed fervently against the demon and clash of voluptuous egos. I wished we won'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.

"The time has now come for us to confront REALITY and demonstrate that we indeed possess commonsense by being demonstrably practical.

"It would be foolhardy not to see that 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. I make this declaration without equivocation, or any fear of contradiction. This is not based on friendship or family ties.

"Governor Adeleke has been a global phenomenon who would easily defeat President Tinubu himself in a popularity contest. Adeleke is primus inter pares amongst Nigerian Governors, in order of extraordinary performance in infrastructure, health, education, staff welfare, labour unions, IGR, agriculture, commerce, culture, women empowerment, youth integration, etc. We should never supply the APC an easy alibi to rig the OSUN gubernatorial election on August 15, 2026."

ASA