The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has clarified that it has yet to select a governorship candidate for the 2026 elections in Osun State, urging all interested aspirants to follow the process outlined by its national secretariat.

National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, made the clarification amid widespread speculation that the party had already picked its flagbearer.

He stated that the party has released and widely publicized its timetable and guidelines for the primaries.

Abdullahi said, “The African Democratic Congress would like to affirm our earlier statement that videos and social media posts claiming that the party has picked a candidate are false and should be disregarded.

“For the purpose of conducting the primaries to elect the party’s flag bearer for the 2026 governorship election in Osun, a timetable has been released and widely publicized.

“All aspirants are urged to adhere strictly to the guidelines. For the avoidance of doubts, the ADC remains committed to the highest standards of internal democracy, anchored on a free, fair and transparent electoral process.”

The Osun State chapter of the party had previously rejected claims that former Speaker Dr. Najeem Salam had been adopted as its gubernatorial candidate.

“Comrade Ekundayo Olatunde, Secretary of the Isokan Group within the Osun ADC, urged the public to disregard the claim, describing it as far from the truth.

He stated, “As of the time of the press release, the Osun ADC has not held its gubernatorial primary election, deeming any contrary claims as fallacious.

“ADC would not repackage governance policies dismissed by citizens in the past; the alleged decision from Lagos was totalitarian, dictatorial, and disrespectful of internal democracy.

“Soonest, the ADC party members will address the issue through the proper national and state party channels, underscoring their commitment to internal democracy and proper political engagement.

“Why, clarifying further, the party has not yet conducted its primary election, let alone endorsed any candidate. Nobody has adopted Salam. The purported endorsement is false and misleading.”

Olatunde also condemned an online publication that reported Salam’s adoption, saying it had generated “significant uproar, disbelief, and disaffection among ADC members in Osun.”

He explained that the contentious claim came from only one faction of the three that constitute the party in the state.

“For the benefit of the general public, ADC is a coalition of political interests nationwide. In Osun State, ADC includes members from the PDP (known as ‘Isokan’), APC (known as ‘Omoluabi’), and original ADC members,” he said, emphasizing that the party is not owned by any individual or group.