African Democratic Congress chieftain Dele Momodu has described the August 15 Osun State governorship election as a contest that goes beyond the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, and the All Progressives Congress, saying the real political battle is between Adeleke and the influence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Momodu made the assertion on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, as political parties intensified their final mobilisation efforts ahead of Saturday’s election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed August 15 for the Osun governorship poll, with 2,339,233 eligible voters registered across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 wards and 3,763 polling units. Fourteen political parties are participating in the election.
Momodu argued that the APC itself does not possess enough political strength in Osun to defeat Adeleke without relying on the influence and political machinery associated with the Federal Government.
According to him, the governor’s principal challenge is therefore the power of the presidency rather than the APC as a party.
He maintained that people within the ruling party understand the strength of Adeleke’s political base in the state, despite the intensity of the campaign against the incumbent.
Momodu backs Adeleke
The ADC chieftain also made clear that his assessment was connected to his personal support for Adeleke.
Although Momodu belongs to the ADC, he has publicly backed the incumbent governor for another term. His position has created an unusual political situation because his party has its own candidate in the race.
Momodu said his support for Adeleke would remain even if he were not a member of the ADC, describing the governor in highly favourable terms and arguing that his administration had produced achievements that should not be ignored for political reasons.
He urged other opposition figures to consider supporting Adeleke if they believed that doing so would prevent what he described as an undesirable political outcome.
The comments reflect the complicated alliances surrounding the Osun election, where personalities and political calculations have increasingly crossed traditional party boundaries.
A direct appeal to Tinubu
Momodu also used the television appearance to appeal directly to President Tinubu, asking him to prevent political tensions surrounding the election from escalating.
He criticised what he described as efforts to use the President’s name in ways that could intimidate political opponents or create an atmosphere of fear.
The former publisher and veteran political commentator warned that violence during an election would have consequences beyond the immediate contest and urged the President to ensure that his supporters and political allies did not resort to threats or actions capable of undermining the electoral process.
Momodu’s remarks come at a time when both the ruling APC and opposition forces have exchanged accusations over the conduct and intentions of their rivals.
Governor Adeleke and the APC have previously clashed over allegations concerning the integrity of the electoral process. The governor has accused APC figures of making threats to influence the election, while the opposition has rejected such allegations.
Tinubu’s role becomes central to campaign
The president’s role has become one of the defining political questions surrounding the Osun contest.
APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji has presented himself as the candidate backed by Tinubu and has rejected suggestions that the President supports Adeleke.
Oyebamiji said in June that he remained Tinubu’s endorsed candidate for the election, describing reports of presidential support for Adeleke as false. He made the claim during a grassroots mobilisation event involving APC campaign structures across parts of the state.
That position directly contrasts with Momodu’s description of the election as a struggle between Adeleke and Tinubu’s political influence.
The disagreement demonstrates how heavily national politics has become intertwined with the state-level contest.
For the APC, victory would represent an opportunity to take control of a strategically important state and strengthen the party’s position ahead of the 2027 general elections.
For Adeleke and his supporters, retaining the governorship would reinforce the governor’s political standing and provide a significant counterweight to the influence of the Federal Government in the state.
Adeleke seeks second term
Adeleke is contesting for another term after becoming governor in the 2022 election.
His campaign has focused on his administration’s record and the need to continue projects and policies already initiated by his government.
The governor has also repeatedly warned supporters against actions that could threaten the peaceful conduct of the election.
His principal APC challenger, Oyebamiji, has meanwhile presented the contest as an opportunity for voters to change the direction of the state.
With both camps intensifying their final campaign efforts, the election has become one of the most closely watched off-cycle governorship contests in Nigeria this year.
ADC faces its own political dilemma
Momodu’s intervention also highlights the internal political calculations within the ADC.
The party is fielding former Osun governor Najeem Salaam, yet one of its prominent national figures is openly supporting Adeleke, who is contesting on the Accord platform.
That means the ADC enters the election with a candidate of its own while Momodu is campaigning for an opponent.
Momodu has defended his position by presenting the Osun election as an exceptional political situation requiring individual judgment rather than strict adherence to party lines.
His comments suggest that he considers the immediate political stakes more important than party loyalty in this particular contest.
The decision could influence how some opposition voters approach the election, particularly those who regard the contest as a broader struggle over the balance of political power between Osun State and the Federal Government.
Election authorities prepare for Saturday
While politicians continue their final appeals, INEC says it is prepared to conduct the election.
The commission has said its logistical and technical preparations are complete, including the configuration of 4,427 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, with 664 backup units available for contingencies. It has also established registration-area centres across the state.
The large number of registered voters and polling locations means that election-day logistics will be crucial to the credibility of the process.
Security will also remain an important concern as parties conclude their campaigns.
The political temperature has risen considerably in the final days before the vote, with competing camps accusing one another of attempting to influence the outcome.
What is at stake
The Osun election carries significance beyond the immediate question of who will occupy the Government House in Osogbo.
For the APC, winning the state would strengthen its control in the South-West and provide momentum heading into the 2027 political cycle.
For Adeleke, a second-term victory would consolidate his political influence and demonstrate that the governor can retain power despite opposition from a Federal Government controlled by the APC.
For smaller opposition parties, the election is an opportunity to demonstrate that Nigeria’s increasingly competitive political environment can produce alternatives to the two major political blocs.
That is why Momodu’s framing of the election as “Adeleke versus Tinubu” has attracted attention.
The actual ballot, however, will contain candidates representing several political parties, and the outcome will ultimately be determined by voters in Osun rather than by national political personalities.
As the state approaches Saturday’s poll, the competing campaigns are making their final appeals, while INEC maintains that the necessary preparations are in place.
The result will determine whether Adeleke secures another term or whether the APC succeeds in taking control of Osun.
Whatever the outcome, the election is likely to be closely watched as an indication of the changing balance of political power in the state and a potential signal of the wider alliances that could shape Nigeria’s 2027 political contest.
