The former vice-president urges voters to back Najeem Salaam, while ADC leaders promise reforms in power, education, healthcare and youth employment

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Monday, August 10, 2026, rallied voters in Osun State behind African Democratic Congress governorship candidate Najeem Folasayo Salaam, urging the electorate to support the party in Saturday’s governorship election.

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Atiku made the appeal in Osogbo during the ADC’s grand finale campaign rally, where he recalled the support he had received from Osun voters in previous elections and asked residents to back Salaam, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly.

The former vice-president said his longstanding relationship with the state’s electorate was one reason he had returned personally to seek their support for the ADC candidate.

“This is the fourth time I am standing on this podium. Each time I stood here, you have given me your vote. I cannot forget that,” Atiku said.

He recalled campaigning for incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke and later receiving support from Osun voters during his presidential campaign, adding that he viewed the latest visit as an opportunity to thank the electorate and seek another mandate, this time for the ADC.

“I have come today to appeal to you again to vote ADC. This is because ADC is different from APC, Accord and other political parties,” he said.

Atiku described the ADC as a party that currently attracted what he called “the best of Nigerians” and expressed confidence that Osun voters would not regret supporting Salaam.

“I believe you will not regret voting ADC in the coming governorship election,” he said.

Atiku’s appearance marked a significant show of support for Salaam as the ADC entered the final stretch of its campaign ahead of the August 15 election. Reports from the campaign confirmed that the former vice-president arrived in Osogbo with political associates to participate in the party’s final rally.

Salaam emerged as the ADC’s governorship candidate after securing the party’s ticket in 2025. He has since taken his campaign across local government areas, presenting an agenda focused on education, healthcare, agriculture, youth empowerment, infrastructure and security.

Speaking at the rally, ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, described the gathering as a celebration of what he predicted would be the party’s victory on Saturday.

Mark urged party members to participate fully in the election and protect their votes throughout the voting and collation process.

“What we are here to do is celebrate the victory that we are going to come to the ADC on Saturday,” he said.

The former Senate president also looked ahead to the possibility of Salaam taking office in November, telling supporters that the party would return to Osun to celebrate what he described as an impending victory.

“On Saturday, protect your votes. Don’t allow anybody to rig you out. They will not rig and get away with it,” Mark added.

Salaam used the occasion to highlight some of the policies he intends to pursue if elected governor.

He promised to address electricity supply in the state, saying his administration would seek to provide more reliable power for households and businesses.

“If we win the election, I want to tell you that our electricity will be stable. We have a solution to that and it is a promise,” Salaam said in Yoruba.

The ADC candidate also promised free education from primary through secondary school and said his administration would review tuition fees in higher institutions with a view to reducing the financial burden on students and families.

Healthcare featured prominently in his campaign promises.

Salaam pledged free medical treatment for children between one and 18 years old at properly equipped government hospitals, alongside free treatment for pregnant women.

He also promised support for elderly people and widows, while setting an ambitious target of employing 20,000 young people within his first 100 days in office.

For farmers, Salaam promised greater empowerment and support for agricultural production.

His campaign agenda builds on the ADC’s broader emphasis on education, healthcare, agriculture, youth opportunities, security and economic development.

ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, also used the rally to reject suggestions that the party was working in alliance with another political party for the Osun election.

Aregbesola urged ADC supporters to participate actively in the poll and vote for the party, while arguing that the election represented an opportunity to pursue what he described as a different approach to governance.

He presented Salaam as a candidate associated with continuity in some of the social programmes previously identified with Osun politics, including the O’YES youth employment scheme and O’MEALS school feeding programme.

The ADC national secretary said the party’s agenda also included expanding mechanised agriculture, improving rural infrastructure and investing in technology.

“This election is about the future of Osun. Quality education, youth opportunities, farmer prosperity, and a government that truly serves the people,” Aregbesola said.

The final rally followed weeks of grassroots mobilisation by Salaam and the ADC. The candidate has travelled across the state during the campaign, meeting traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders while promoting his development agenda.

The ADC had also established a 63-member national campaign council chaired by former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke as part of its preparations for the election.

The August 15 poll is expected to be closely contested, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke seeking another term while candidates including Salaam and APC’s Bola Oyebamiji seek to take control of the state.

For Atiku, the Osogbo appearance was both a campaign intervention and an appeal rooted in his previous electoral relationship with Osun voters.

For Salaam and the ADC, the immediate task is to convert the momentum generated by the final rally into votes across the state’s polling units on Saturday.

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With the campaign period drawing to a close, the contest will now shift from rallies and promises to the ballot box, where Osun voters will decide which candidate will lead the state.