FACT-CHECK: Photo of Adeleke, Aregbesola Does Not Show Recent Meeting Ahead of Osun 2026 Election
BY: Habeeb Adisa
Claim:
A photo of Governor Ademola Adeleke and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola shows that Adeleke recently reached out to Aregbesola for electoral collaboration ahead of the 2026 Osun governorship election.
Verdict:
False. FactCheckAfrica found that the photograph circulating online was taken in March 2023, when Adeleke visited Aregbesola, who was then Nigeria’s Minister of Interior. The image has been presented as evidence of a recent political meeting ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election.
Full Text:
An X user, @omoluabi1sq (DGov), shared the image and claimed that Adeleke had reached out to Aregbesola for electoral collaboration ahead of the election.
A caption accompanying the image reads:
“Adeleke has allegedly reached out to Aregbesola asking for electoral collaboration. Details of the meeting are yet to be made public. #AMBO is finally not coming!!”
Verification:
FactCheckAfrica subjected the photograph to reverse-image searches and reviewed reports and publicly available records relating to the image.
The search established that the photograph dates to March 2023, when Governor Ademola Adeleke met with Rauf Aregbesola in his capacity as Minister of Interior.
On March 28, 2023, Adeleke and Aregbesola were together at the commissioning of the Nigeria Immigration Service Passport Front Office and Production Centre in Ilesa, Osun State. Contemporary reports identified both politicians at the event.
A few days later, on March 31, 2023, Adeleke visited Aregbesola in his office in Abuja.
The Osun State Broadcasting Corporation reported that the meeting involved discussions around the completion of the MKO Abiola Airport in Ido-Osun. Adeleke reportedly sought the Federal Government’s assistance in removing obstacles to the completion of the project, while Aregbesola assured him of the Federal Government’s support.
These reports establish that the photograph being circulated online is from 2023 and not from the current election period.
FactCheckAfrica also found that there have been political speculations concerning a possible relationship between Adeleke, Aregbesola and the ADC. However, such speculation does not establish that the photograph in question was taken during a recent meeting or that it proves an electoral agreement.
Aregbesola has publicly rejected speculation that his political group would form an alliance with another political group or individual ahead of the 2026 election.
More recent developments further provide context.
On Monday, August 10, 2026, News Central TV reported that Rauf Aregbesola, Dino Melaye and other ADC chieftains gathered in Osogbo for the ADC Mega Rally ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Reports from the rally showed Aregbesola campaigning for the ADC and its governorship candidate, Najeem Salaam. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ADC National Chairman David Mark also attended the rally and urged voters to support the party ahead of Saturday’s election.
Conclusion:
The claim that the photograph of Governor Ademola Adeleke and Rauf Aregbesola shows a recent meeting in which Adeleke sought electoral collaboration ahead of the 2026 Osun governorship election is false. Furthermore, on August 10, 2026, Aregbesola was publicly participating in the ADC Mega Rally in Osogbo alongside other party chieftains and campaigning for the ADC’s governorship candidate. He also dismissed reports of an alliance between the ADC and another political party ahead of the election.
