The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State has dismissed allegations by Governor Ademola Adeleke that the opposition party plans to rely on federal influence to manipulate the forthcoming governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, said the accusations were unfounded and were aimed at preparing the ground for defeat in the poll.

Olabisi said the ruling camp’s claims emerged after remarks made at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Accord Party, where Adeleke accused the APC of threatening to deploy federal authority during the election.

According to the APC spokesman, “the opposition party has no intention of influencing the electoral process through unlawful means and believes it can win the election based on its 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 some rumour mongers.”

He added that the “APC had been focusing on legitimate political mobilisation and strategic planning ahead of the election, insisting that such efforts would determine the outcome of the poll.”

The party pointed to recent political developments within the state, claiming that several prominent figures who were formerly aligned with the governor’s political structure had joined the APC.

Among those mentioned were Shuaib Oyedokun, Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi and Wole Oke, whom the party said had strengthened its chances in the forthcoming contest.

Olabisi also cited the defection of political figures including Dotun Babayemi and Akin Ogunbiyi, saying their support had boosted the campaign efforts of the party.

The APC maintained that “these developments demonstrate what a shifting political alignments in the state ahead of the election.”

The spokesman said the party’s candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, was gaining increasing support across various communities.

“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 Osun’s 332 wards in Osogbo, the governor said 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 defend the integrity of the electoral process, insisting that “only the votes of the people will determine who governs the state.”