Adeleke Kicks Off Re-election Campaign, Welcomes Omisore's Supporters

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke got a big boost on Tuesday for the governorship election coming up on 15 August. Supporters of former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Iyiola Omisore, announced they are joining the Accord party and will support the governor's re-election.

This announcement came as Mr Adeleke officially launched his campaign in Osogbo, the state capital. He told his supporters that the Accord party will still be on the ballot, despite a recent court ruling that ordered the deregistration of it and four other parties.

At the rally, Mr Adeleke expressed his belief that the legal battle would overturn the court's decision and allow the party to participate in the election. "Let me start by assuring you all, Accord will be on the ballot; your votes will count; and I will be re-elected as your governor on August 15th," he stated. This was said on the same day the Court of Appeal in Abuja stopped the enforcement of the controversial ruling.

"We will not bow to dark forces; we remain courageous, and we shall again be victorious by the special grace of God," he added. The rally marked the official start of Mr Adeleke’s re-election campaign under the Accord party. He switched to Accord last year after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party due to ongoing disputes over leadership within the party.

A key highlight of the event was the endorsement of Mr Adeleke by supporters of Mr Omisore, who is a former deputy governor of Osun State. He has a strong political presence in various parts of the state. Speaking for the defectors, former Commissioner for Education Folorunso Oladoyin said they decided to support Mr Adeleke because they believe he is the strongest candidate.

"We, the supporters of Senator Iyiola Omisore, have decided to join Adeleke for his re-election," Mr Oladoyin said. He explained that some APC members had wanted Mr Omisore to be their party's candidate, but their proposal did not go through. He mentioned that Mr Adeleke's past electoral success shows his strength in Osun State.

"When Adeleke was alone without our support, he defeated our party three times. In 2022, he defeated us by more than 28,000 votes. Adeleke has done well throughout the state and deserves a second term," he added.

During the rally, Mr Adeleke also talked about projects his government has completed. These include paying off salary arrears, settling pension debts, and fixing schools and roads. He assured new members of Accord that they will have equal chances to participate in the party.

The governor called on supporters to ramp up grassroots mobilization as the election approaches. He is confident that the party will win at the polls. The upcoming governorship election is expected to be a tough contest between the ruling Accord and other political parties, particularly the APC, which is trying to regain control of the state after losing it to Mr Adeleke, who was then with the PDP, in 2022.

Mr Adeleke also expressed his support for President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid in 2027. He urged Osun voters to back the Accord in the upcoming governorship election.