Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has described Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun governorship election as a setback for President Bola Tinubu rather than the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Momodu, who supported Adeleke before the August 15 election, said the contest was largely a battle between the incumbent governor and Tinubu’s political influence, arguing that APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and former Governor Gboyega Oyetola relied heavily on the President’s name during the campaign.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, the ADC chieftain said the outcome should serve as a warning to the APC ahead of the 2027 general election.

“Without any doubt whatsoever he (Tinubu) lost. Who was Oyebamiji in the scheme of things? Who was Oyetola in the scheme of things?

“They were all name droppers, name dropping Tinubu everywhere,” Momodu said.

He argued that the election demonstrated that voters could reject candidates associated with the President if they preferred another candidate based on perceived performance and grassroots appeal.

“In Osun Today, people are saying whether the governor supports Tinubu or not, they would support their own preferred candidate based on merit,” he said.

Momodu also alleged that there were attempts to manipulate the collation of results, claiming that vote counting was halted at one point before eventually continuing.

“I’m happy with what Davido did with social media, making sure that they were aware, he was updating them regularly, I think that also saved the day,” he said.

The ADC chieftain attributed Adeleke’s victory largely to his grassroots connection and visibility across the state.

“It was obvious that this man is a grassroot man, very down to earth, loves his people. I have followed his trajectory with keen interest, so it was obvious to me that the people love him,” Momodu said.

He also praised the role of social media in the election, particularly that of Davido, Adeleke’s nephew, for keeping supporters informed during the exercise.