The spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress, ADC, governorship campaign in Osun State, Adebisi Nurein Debo, has reaffirmed the party’s opposition to vote buying and election violence.

Debo spoke on Friday at the Osun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Guest Platform, where he described the ADC as an emerging political force and defended the party’s campaign strategy.

The ADC campaign spokesperson who condemned vote buying and vote selling also urged voters not to exchange their votes for financial inducements.

“Collect whatever money is offered because it is everybody’s common wealth, but do not vote for them,” he said.

While outlining the ADC policy direction ahead of the 2026 governorship election, Debo disclosed that the party has grown significantly within the last year, saying the party has become a serious opposition coalition in Osun State.

“A year ago nobody spoke of the ADC. A year and five days today, ADC has become a serious contending coalition of opposition. The result is there to show because the ADC is a force to reckon with,” he said.

He added that the party rejected popularity gained through election violence, maintaining that the ADC remained committed to peaceful democratic participation.

Debo said the party’s governorship candidate, Najeem Salaam, had a clear vision for Osun anchored on the ADC’s 10-point agenda. 

He added that, apart from former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, only Salaam had presented a prepared development plan for the state, warning that “trial and error will lead to multiplicity of errors.”

He said the party’s agenda prioritises workers’ welfare, agriculture, security, commerce and business without increasing taxes, improved electricity supply to boost productivity, and good governance through people-oriented policies.

According to him, “the ADC aims to implement at least 70 per cent of its campaign promises within the first three years of assuming office.”

He also alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State had engaged in “political agenda theft.”

Debo assured residents that Salaam would provide good and visionary leadership if elected and disclosed that an ADC administration would focus on talent discovery and create employment opportunities for 20,000 youths within its first 100 days in office.

Speaking on Salaam’s relationship with former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Debo said “Aregbesola had established himself as a household name in Osun and Nigerian politics, adding that Salaam’s alignment with the former governor had strengthened his electoral appeal. Aregbesola is a mentor and leader to Najeem Salaam.”

On local government administration in the state, Debo attributed the current situation to what he described as abuse of power by the APC and incompetence by the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke. 

He also claimed to observe a dangerous political trade by barter between Abuja and Osogbo over the issue and questioned the governor’s endorsement of “his tormentor in chief.”

A founding member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Osita Okechukwu, on Saturday urged President Bola Tinubu to delegate greater responsibilities to Kashim Shettima to oversee the nation’s economic affairs, having retained him as Vice President ahead of 2027.

Okechukwu said he was delighted that after all the speculation, rigmarole and political maneuvering surrounding the issue, Tinubu graciously retained Vice President Shettima.

The party chieftain said his call is against the backdrop that the economic reforms of Tinubu have yielded significant gains at the macroeconomic stability level, noting however, that hunger and poverty remain pressing issues deserving attention.

Okechukwu in a statement said, “May I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for graciously retaining His Excellency Kashim Shettima as Vice President and humbly request that more powers be delegated to him to oversee economic affairs.

“I am making this humble appeal based on the fact that the economic reforms of Mr. President have yielded significant gains at the macroeconomic stability level.

“However, hunger and poverty remain pressing challenges, which invariably require the urgent delegation of greater economic responsibilities to the Vice President, given his background in rural development and economic management.”

Okechukwu recalled that even the International Monetary Fund, IMF, godfather of neoliberalism and leading advocate of neoliberal economic policies, noted in its 2026 Article IV Consultation on Nigeria that the country requires more inclusive growth, as approximately 63 percent of Nigerians now live below the national poverty line.

He stressed that while the President’s economic reforms have improved key macroeconomic indicators, greater attention must be directed toward translating those gains into tangible improvements in the living standards of ordinary Nigerians.

According to him, Vice President Shettima’s academic background in Agricultural Economics, experience in banking, and record in public service place him in a strong position to support efforts aimed at reducing poverty, promoting rural development, and ensuring that economic growth becomes more inclusive.

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An ADC chieftain and retired broadcaster, Mohammed Barde, has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are afraid of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai because of his political influence.

Speaking in an interview with Trust TV on Friday, Barde claimed that El-Rufai’s legal troubles are politically motivated rather than purely judicial.

“The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, is scared of Nasir, very, very scared of him. People in government are scared of Nasir. He has become an enigma to the APC and the Presidency, they don’t want him to be free, and that’s why they are keeping him there,” Barde said.

He argued that other former governors accused of more serious offences remain free, while El-Rufai is facing prosecution, which he said suggests political persecution.

When asked why other prominent opposition politicians like Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have not been subjected to similar legal proceedings, Barde insisted that El-Rufai’s case is exceptional because of his political significance.

“I believe Nasir is in this situation because the President and all the people in the APC are scared of him,” he added.

The retired broadcaster also claimed that El-Rufai played a significant role in the political emergence of President Tinubu and other national figures, arguing that his contributions have not been acknowledged.

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