Adeleke denies sharing Osun seats with APC, says pact is only for Tinubu's re-election
- Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke says there is no agreement to share legislative or council seats with the APC.
- He says his alliance with the Presidency covers only President Bola Tinubu's 2027 re-election bid.
- Adeleke says he will campaign for Accord candidates for Senate, House of Representatives and state Assembly.
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has denied claims that he struck a deal with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to divide legislative and local government positions in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.
The governor's spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, made this known in a statement issued in Osogbo on Wednesday. The statement followed social media reports that Adeleke and the Presidency had agreed to share Senate, House of Representatives, State Assembly and council seats between his Accord Party and the Osun APC.
Adeleke called the reports false, saying his understanding with the Presidency is limited to one goal: returning President Bola Tinubu to office in 2027.
What the governor said
According to the statement, the coalition partners came together only for the presidential contest. Adeleke said every other seat remains open for parties to fight for at the ballot.
He said he will personally campaign for Accord candidates seeking Senate, House of Representatives and Osun State House of Assembly seats, and urged other parties to do the same for their own flagbearers.
"We have no deal on the National Assembly and the State Assembly elections," the governor said.
He added that voters, not political arrangements, will decide who represents them.
Adeleke also addressed the local government crisis in Osun. He said talks to end it are about protecting the interests of both APC chairpersons and the elected Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmen and councillors, not about sharing offices.
He said all sides now agree that getting grassroots administration working again is needed for a strong campaign in 2027, and he expects the matter settled before the end of the year.
Why it matters
Osun voters will choose lawmakers for the National Assembly and the state House of Assembly in 2027. If the governor and the APC were sharing those seats in advance, many residents would see it as shutting out real competition. Adeleke's denial keeps those races open, at least on paper.
His stance also matters for the Accord Party, which he used to contest the Osun governorship election in August 2026. The party now has to fight for legislative seats on its own, without any arrangement with the ruling party at the centre.
The statement did not say when the local government dispute would be formally settled, beyond the governor's hope of a resolution before the end of the year.
