FACT-CHECK: Adeleke Has Not Collapsed His Structure to Support ADC Candidate Najeem Salam!
BY: Mustapha Lawal
Claim:
An X user claimed that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke had agreed to collapse his political structure to support the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Najeem Salam, in the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
Verdict:
FALSE! FactCheckAfrica found no evidence that Governor Ademola Adeleke collapsed his political structure to support the ADC candidate. The ADC itself publicly dismissed the claim, stating that neither the party nor Adeleke had entered into such an arrangement.
Full Text:
As voting continues in Osun State on Saturday, August 15, 2026, several claims about political alliances and last-minute endorsements have emerged on social media.
One such claim alleges that Governor Ademola Adeleke had agreed to collapse his political structure to support the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salam, in the ongoing governorship election.
The claim was shared by an X user, @abdulmojeed_ola, who alleged that Adeleke had agreed to back Salam and merge his political structure with the ADC.
Given the timing of the claim and its potential implications for voters and supporters of the political parties involved, FactCheckAfrica examined the allegation.
Verification:
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) publicly debunked the claim in a statement issued on Saturday, August 15. The party clarified that it had not collapsed its structure or entered into any arrangement to support Governor Adeleke or the Accord Party.
The ADC also specifically stated that Governor Adeleke had not collapsed his political structure into the party to support its governorship candidate, Najeem Salam.
FactCheckAfrica also reviewed the Facebook page of Governor Adeleke’s Imole Campaign Council for any statement confirming the alleged political arrangement. At the time of verification, the campaign council had not issued a statement confirming that Adeleke had endorsed Salam or collapsed his political structure into the ADC.
FactCheckAfrica further found no credible report from a reputable news organisation confirming the alleged alliance. The claim therefore lacks credible evidence and is contradicted by the ADC’s own statement.
Conclusion
The claim that Governor Ademola Adeleke collapsed his political structure to support ADC governorship candidate Najeem Salam in the Osun governorship election is INCORRECT. The ADC has publicly denied entering into any such arrangement and stated that Adeleke had not collapsed his political structure into the party.
FactCheckAfrica also found no confirmation from Adeleke’s Imole Campaign Council or any reputable news organisation supporting the claim. As of the time of publication, there is no credible evidence that Adeleke endorsed Najeem Salam or collapsed his political structure to support the ADC candidate.
