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The Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar and the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola storm Osogbo, Osun State capital, campaigning for the governorship candidate of the party, Mr Najeem Salaam.

The duo stormed the campaign venue around 3:30pm along with Salaam and other party stalwarts, as well s supporters who escorted the convoy from Ilesa.

On getting to the podium, Aregbesola, who sang different songs in Yoruba, urged the party supporters to disregard rumours that the party has entered into an alliance with another party.

He said the ADC is not working with any party but campaigning vigorously, and it is certain of victory on August 15.

“Don’t mind rumours that our party has entered into an alliance with another party for the Osun election on Saturday. We are not working with anyone. We have campaigned vigorously across the State, and we will win the governorship election”, he said.

As at the time of filing this report, Atiku and the candidate, Najeem, are yet to address the gathering.

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council wishes to alert the good people of Osun State, Nigerians, and the international community to a deeply disturbing, desperate, and malicious plot orchestrated by Governor, Ademola Adeleke, in collusion with the Accord Party.

Having completely failed to match the rigorous, issue-based campaign of the APC, and realizing he has non-significant achievements to showcase, Adeleke has resorted to dangerous antics aimed at blackmailing the Nigeria Police Force.

Intelligence available to us reveals a preplanned, highly provocative plot to hire vulnerable women some of whom have been instructed to protest half-naked and march them to the State Police Command Headquarters in Osogbo.

Rather than allowing the police to carry out their constitutional duties without interference, Governor Adeleke is attempting to cow and intimidate the force.

This planned protest is nothing but a grand design to blackmail a professional security agency that has flatly refused to be compromised or pocketed by the state government.

It is deeply shameful that Adeleke is now using the very poverty he foisted upon the people of the State as a weapon of manipulation, distributing miserable peanuts to vulnerable and innocent women, this administration is cajoling them into taking part in a heavily compromised theatrical display against the police.

We state categorically to the international community and all well-meaning Nigerians that the police are not arresting innocent citizens, they are tracking down known criminals who have serious questions to answer regarding the recent wave of electoral violence across the state.

Lest the public forgets, it was in this state that a notorious individual, who had been officially declared wanted by law enforcement agents, was reported to be at the official residence of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

Instead of facilitating the legal process, the current administration raised objections to the police intervention. Furthermore, individuals with active warrants have been observed attending state government functions.

Resistance to these security measures suggests a desire to impede the course of justice.

The Osun APC Campaign Council wishes to emphasize that an election must never be seen as a do-or-die affair. The right to choose leaders rests solely with the electorate.

No amount of organized pressure or staged protests can alter the democratic process that leads to the election results, the decision belongs to the people of Osun State, and they will express their choice with their votes on Saturday, August 15, 2026.

Despite challenges and reports of harassment during this period, the APC has successfully toured every nook and cranny of the state, engaging directly with voters and presenting a clear vision for the future.

We remain resolute and focused on the upcoming polls, undistracted by the maneuvers of the state government and its allies in the Accord Party.

We urge the Nigeria Police Force and every other security operatives to remain professional and firm in preserving law and order. We additionally call upon our supporters to remain calm and law-abiding as we approach the election on August 15.

Signed:
Engr Oluremi Omowaiye
Head, Media and Publicity Committee,
Osun APC Governorship Campaign Council

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Opposition leaders, ex- Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke, are expected to meet in Abuja on August 18 as efforts intensify to forge a united front ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The planned meeting is being facilitated by the G100, a coalition of concerned Nigerians, which said it had concluded an initial round of consultations with leaders of six opposition political parties as part of efforts to build a stronger opposition alliance. In a statement on Monday signed by Salihu Moh.

Lukman on behalf of the G100, the group said it had engaged leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The consultations involved national chairmen, presidential candidates and running mates of the parties

According to the group, the discussions were “frank, constructive and encouraging”, with the parties recognising the need for greater cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The G100 said it deliberately kept the consultations away from the media to allow the various parties to discuss sensitive issues without the pressure of public scrutiny.

“We have deliberately kept these consultations away from the glare of the media, in recognition of the sensitivity of many of the discussions and the need to allow party leaders to engage frankly and constructively without the pressure of premature public commentary,” the statement said. It added that the discussions had shown a growing recognition among opposition parties that achieving a credible alternative to the ruling party would require compromise, sacrifice and a willingness to put national interests ahead of individual and partisan ambitions.

Opposition Summit As part of the next phase of the process, the G100 announced that a Summit of Opposition Parties would hold in Abuja on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

The summit is expected to provide a platform for the parties to begin discussions on the modalities for greater cooperation and possible opposition unity ahead of the 2027 election.

The group, however, said it would not dictate the outcome of the discussions or impose any particular arrangement on the parties.

The G100 does not presume to dictate the outcome of these conversations. Our role is to facilitate dialogue, build confidence and help create the conditions in which the participating political parties can openly consider the difficult questions of cooperation, sacrifice, accommodation and collective action,” it said.

The coalition stressed that any agreement reached must take into account the legitimate interests of the participating parties while placing the interests of Nigerians above political calculations.

According to the G100, opposition fragmentation could undermine efforts to provide voters with a credible alternative to the ruling party. It argued that a strong democracy requires citizens to have access to a viable political alternative capable of competing effectively for their votes. “The consultations of the past week represent only the beginning. The task ahead will require patience, courage and, above all, sacrifice,” the group said.