Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has firmly denied recent reports suggesting he plans to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2026 governorship election.

In a statement released on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke described the claims as false and misleading, attributing them to political opponents seeking to create confusion and undermine his growing popularity in the state.

“Governor Adeleke remains a committed member of the PDP and has no intention of joining ADC or any other party,” the statement read.

According to Rasheed, the Governor’s current priority is not politics, but delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun, who entrusted him with their mandate three years ago.

“This rumour is a calculated attempt by those intimidated by the Governor’s rising public acceptance to distract the people and derail ongoing efforts,” Rasheed added.

The Governor and PDP leadership in Osun, the statement noted, are focused on strengthening party structures and mobilizing voters for the ongoing voter registration exercise, ahead of the 2026 polls.

“Governor Adeleke is fully focused on preparing the PDP for victory. His re-election bid will be under the PDP, with the strong support of the people of Osun,” Rasheed emphasized.

The statement also addressed the wave of unsolicited endorsements Adeleke has received in recent weeks, which it said has unsettled his critics.

“Those spreading fake reports are trying to capitalize on the Governor’s goodwill among Osun people. But the public should ignore these distractions.”

Governor Adeleke urged his supporters to disregard the defection rumours and stay focused on the task ahead.

“As a leader of the people, Governor Adeleke acknowledges the confidence Osun citizens have in both his leadership and the PDP. He will never act against their will,” the statement concluded.

The Supreme Court has dismissed multiple appeals challenging the election of Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, following the withdrawal of suits by opposition candidates from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The PDP governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi, officially withdrew his appeal against Aiyedatiwa’s election.

His legal counsel informed the court that the decision followed consultations with key members of the party.

Ajayi also issued a statement extending his best wishes to Governor Aiyedatiwa and reaffirmed his commitment to the development of Ondo State.

Similarly, the Supreme Court panel, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, dismissed appeals filed by Bamidele Akingboye of the SDP and Ogunfeyimi Kolawole of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

The SDP’s counsel explained that their appeal was being withdrawn due to the death of the appellant, Akingboye. Lawyers representing the respondents did not object to the withdrawals.

These developments effectively end legal challenges by major opposition parties seeking to overturn Aiyedatiwa’s electoral victory.

Governor Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner of the November 16, 2024 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He secured 366,781 votes and won in all 18 local government areas of the state, defeating his closest rival, Ajayi of the PDP.

Aiyedatiwa’s victory had already been upheld by both the Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

On June 4, 2025, the Ondo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, chaired by Justice Benson Ogubu, dismissed several petitions, including one from Ajayi, alleging electoral irregularities.

Petitions from the SDP, African Democratic Congress (ADC), APM, and African Alliance (AA) were also struck out, affirming Aiyedatiwa’s win.

Prior to that, on March 11, 2025, the Supreme Court dismissed a separate suit filed by Ajayi challenging the validity of Aiyedatiwa’s candidacy.

The court ruled that Ajayi lacked the legal standing to intervene in APC’s internal affairs, noting that he was not a member of the party and had filed the case out of time.

Omoyele Sowore, the pro‑democracy activist and former presidential candidate, has filed two fundamental rights actions at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The suits are aimed at preventing Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) from removing his posts referring to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a criminal.

His attorney, Tope Temokun, initiated the cases yesterday in response to legal action taken by the Department of State Services (DSS) on the same day.

The DSS lawsuit, filed on 16 September 2025, charges Sowore and the social media platforms (Meta and X) in a five‑count complaint for refusing to delete certain posts about the President.

The charges were brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, M.B. Abubakar, together with four other DSS legal counsels.

In the fundamental rights actions, Sowore argues that the DSS is enforcing unconstitutional censorship through demands for deletion of his posts.

He claims this threatens free speech in Nigeria and endangers the rights of all citizens.

The DSS complaint alleges the following:

• In Count one, that Sowore, via his X account (@YeleSowore), posted on 25 August a message accusing President Tinubu of corruption (“…this criminal @officialPBAT…”) — an allegation the DSS says violates Section 24(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2024.
• In Count Two, that on 26 August, Sowore shared a similar message on his Facebook page, purportedly aimed at inciting lawlessness among those with dissenting views.
• In Count Three, the charge asserts that Sowore used his X handle to publish “defamatory material” online, contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code.

Sowore has publicly decried the charges, posting:

“The State Security Service filed a five‑count charge against X Facebook and myself. They claimed that because I called Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu a criminal, I have committed a set of ‘novel’ offences they invented”

He has vowed to appear when his case is called for trial, framing the dispute as a fundamental test of free speech and constitutional rights.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar led a delegation to meet the United States Ambassador, Richard Mills Jr., in Abuja yesterday.

In a social media post, Atiku said their discussion centered on strengthening democracy, security, and shared prosperity between Nigeria and the U.S.

Speaking further, Atiku who is contesting for the presidency in 2027 under the ADC called tribalism “a malignant disease” that undermines progress.

He placed blame on the elite for exploiting ethnic divisions, encouraging people to reject candidates based on their tribe rather than competence.

“Your exclusive point of focus must necessarily bother on the competence of the person based on his antecedents, among his numerous qualities, rather than what ethnic group he hails from. Vote according to your conscience and never allow anyone to subject you to the perverted delusion that you must not vote for a particular candidate just because he is Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba.”

In response, the APC criticized Atiku’s remarks as irresponsible and said his comments were a disguised attempt to provoke unrest.

APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka accused Atiku of using hunger and insecurity as political ammunition, arguing that he and his party had failed to tackle those issues during their time in power.

APC also warned that Atiku, who often resides abroad, would not bear the consequences if his calls for “revolution” led to chaos, urging Nigerians to support President Tinubu’s administration for stability and continued reforms.