The Imole Campaign Council has dismissed reports suggesting that the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, is planning to defect from the Accord Party to the All Progressives Congress, APC, following his recent meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a statement issued on Friday by the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Imole Campaign Council, Bamidele Salam, the council described Adeleke’s visit to the President as a routine political courtesy that follows the conclusion of off-cycle elections in Nigeria.

“The Imole Campaign Council wishes to state that the visit by Osun State Governor, Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke to His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday is in line with customs and political tradition at the conclusion of off cycle elections in Nigeria,” the statement said.

According to the council, Adeleke, having secured victory in the recently concluded Osun governorship election, had a responsibility to pay respect to the office of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The council further noted that Tinubu had consistently called for a free and fair election in Osun State, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and security agencies to ensure a credible process.

“The visit also afforded Mr President, as the father of the Nation and the Osun State Governor, a platform to discuss issues pertaining to peace, security and progress of Osun State after the tensed election,” the statement added.

Addressing speculation that the meeting signalled plans for Adeleke to join the ruling APC, the campaign council firmly denied any such discussion.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the visit of Mr Governor and top members of his Campaign team had absolutely nothing to do with a plan to move from Accord to the All Progressives Congress as being insinuated in certain quarters,” the statement said.

The council further stressed: “We wish to state unequivocally that at no stage during the visit to Mr President was the issue of decamping to the APC discussed.”

The clarification comes after Adeleke visited President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, days after winning a second term in office. He was accompanied by the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

The visit marked Adeleke’s first publicly known meeting with Tinubu since his victory in the August 15 governorship election. It also followed a congratulatory phone call from the President, who described the outcome as “a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in our country.”

 The Imole Campaign Council, however, assured supporters that the governor remains focused on governance and committed to serving the people of Osun State.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said that every presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections must be willing to defend their credentials, records and subject their vision to open scrutiny.

Obi said this on Friday at a world press conference in his home in Onitsha, Anambra State.

While highlighting the need for empathy, the former Anambra Governor promised to visit communities affected by insecurity and flooding to understand their concerns.

He mentioned his core mission to include resettling of Nigeria through national unity, improved security, and transitioning the economy from consumption to production.

“Every candidate must be willing to defend their credentials, defend their records, and subject their vision to open scrutiny.

“True leadership requires presence and empathy. No one can lead from the front without standing with the communities across Nigeria devastated by banditry, criminality, terrorism, or flooding,” he said.

Gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Oyo, Adegboyega Adegoke, has held a closed-door meeting with one of the chieftains of the Allied People’s Movement, APM in the state, Abdul-Rasheed Olopoeyan. 

DAILY POST gathered that the meeting was held at Olopoeyan’s residence on Thursday. 

Adegoke was accompanied to the meeting by the ADC Deputy National Women Leader, Southwest, Kafilat Olayiwola. 

Both individuals were formerly in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, before leaving for separate political parties. 

Although they did not disclose the reason for the meeting, sources claim it may not be unconnected to gubernatorial election in the state. 

The anonymous source explained that the two political figures discussed issues relating to alliance in the forthcoming election and has agreed to work together in 2027.