Osun State Governor and Accord Party governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, has declared that the upcoming Osun Election will send a strong message to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while accusing the party of victimizing the people of the state.

Ahead of the August 15 governorship election, Adeleke alleged that the APC leadership punished Osun residents after they voted for him in the 2022 governorship election. He made the claims in a statement shared on his official X account on Thursday.

The governor specifically accused the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and former Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, of using their influence within the Federal Government to work against the interests of the state.

According to Adeleke, both politicians repeatedly used their positions within the ruling party to frustrate Osun State because voters chose a different political direction during the last governorship election.

He alleged that the actions of Oyebamiji and Oyetola affected the welfare of Osun workers and created challenges for civil servants, traders, artisans, and other residents whose livelihoods depend on a stable economy.

Adeleke argued that the forthcoming Osun Election represents more than a contest for political office. He said the election offers the people of the state an opportunity to defend their democratic rights and reaffirm that their votes must always be respected.

According to the governor, the outcome of the Osun Election should deliver a clear message that no political party or public official should attempt to punish citizens for exercising their constitutional right to vote.

“It is about securing a decisive victory that sends a clear and unmistakable message to the APC. The people of Osun State must always be respected, their democratic choice must be honoured, and no one should ever seek to punish them for exercising their constitutional right to vote,” Adeleke stated.

His remarks come as political campaigns intensify ahead of the governorship poll, with parties making their final appeals to voters across the state.

The Osun Election is expected to attract nationwide attention because political analysts view it as an important test of public support for both the ruling APC and the opposition in one of Nigeria’s key states. As the campaign enters its final stages, voters will ultimately decide the direction of Osun State when they head to the polls on August 15.