A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has described the upcoming Saturday’s Osun State governorship election as a direct contest between Governor Ademola Adeleke and President Bola Tinubu.
Momodu, who has declared support for Adeleke despite belonging to the ADC, said his decision was driven by his commitment to the opposition coalition and his belief that opposition parties must unite against the ruling party.
He made the disclosure on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
According to the publisher of Ovation International, he joined the ADC primarily because of its commitment to bringing opposition parties together, stressing that his support for Adeleke was consistent with that objective.
“When I joined ADC, I joined a party that promoted a coalition of opposition parties. So, what I am demonstrating now is that opposition must come together today,” he said.
Momodu said he consulted some elders in the party before deciding to publicly back Adeleke, whom he identified alongside the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, as the two major contenders in the election.
He insisted that the APC candidate could not match Adeleke’s political strength in the state, arguing that the real political battle was between the governor and the President.
“The battle in Osun is not a contest between Adeleke and the APC, it is between Adeleke and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Momodu said.
“APC is no match for Adeleke in Osun, everybody agrees on that. They can make all the noise and all the hulabaloo, but I can tell you today that even the Presidency knows, and I have a lot of friends in APC, they know they cannot match Ademola Adeleke.”
Explaining his personal support for the governor, Momodu cited his long-standing relationship with Adeleke, whom he described as a close friend and “twin brother.”
He said both men were born three days apart in May 1960 and had maintained a close relationship over the years.
Momodu also alleged that Adeleke was being subjected to political “bullying” and “intimidation”, calling on Nigerians across party lines to support the governor.
“He’s being bullied, he’s being intimidated, and all men and women of good conscience should rise up whether you are in our party or wherever,” he said.
The ADC chieftain further praised Adeleke’s performance in office, saying he would have supported the governor even if he were not a member of the opposition party.
“Even if I was not in ADC, I would still have supported Ademola. He’s a fantastic soul. Only a wicked man will see the good work he has done in Osun State and ignore it,” he added.
Momodu acknowledged that the ADC has its own candidate, Najeem Salam, in the August 15 election but appealed to the party leadership to permit him to campaign for Adeleke.
“But I’m a democrat. If my party says they are not ready to back him, that is fine. On this occasion, they should please loan me to Ademola Adeleke. I’m begging them to do that,” he said.
The August 15 election is expected to be keenly contested among Adeleke, who is seeking a second term, APC candidate Oyebamiji and ADC candidate Salam, alongside candidates of other 12 political parties.