The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has constituted a 73-member Election Management Council to coordinate its campaign and mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2026 Osun State governorship election, with several prominent political figures appointed to key positions.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, former Imo State Governor and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, former Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, and retired General Kabiru Nadama are among the senior figures named to the Council.
The development represents a fresh organisational push by the opposition Party as it intensifies preparations for the Osun governorship contest.
According to the announcement made by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Saturday, the newly constituted Council will be responsible for coordinating the Party’s election activities across the State.
Imoke is to lead the Council, while Tambuwal will serve as Chairman. Ihedioha and Nadama were named co-Chairmen.
The appointments bring experienced political figures from different parts of the country into the Party’s campaign structure as the ADC seeks to strengthen its presence in Osun ahead of the governorship election.
The Party’s decision to deploy senior national figures to the State also underlines the importance it attaches to the election and the need for a coordinated campaign structure as voting day approaches.
The Council is expected to oversee a range of campaign responsibilities, including mobilisation, coordination of Party activities and preparations for the ADC’s concluding campaign programme.
The Party said its campaign would reach a major climax on Monday, August 10, when it holds its final rally at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
The rally is scheduled to begin at noon and is expected to attract the Party’s national leaders, its governorship candidate, members of the campaign organisation, coalition leaders, supporters and other members of the public.
All members of the newly constituted campaign council have also been directed to attend the rally.
The choice of Osogbo as the venue for the final campaign event gives the ADC an opportunity to make a major public show of strength in the State capital before the election.
Nelson Mandela Freedom Park has previously served as a venue for major political gatherings and campaign events in Osogbo. The facility is located in the central part of the city and has become one of the recognised public spaces for large gatherings in the State.
The ADC’s latest move comes against the backdrop of an increasingly active political environment in Osun, where the major political parties have been stepping up their campaigns and mobilisation ahead of the governorship election.
The 2026 Osun governorship contest is expected to attract significant national attention because of the political importance of the State and the strength of the competing political structures.
The ADC has emerged as an important platform in Nigeria’s opposition politics, particularly following the movement of several prominent politicians into the Party and the formation of a broader opposition coalition.
Its national structure has featured several experienced political figures, including Imoke, Tambuwal and Ihedioha. In April, the Party named Imoke Chairman of its National Convention Central Coordination Committee, with Tambuwal serving as Deputy Chairman, while Ihedioha was also listed among the prominent members of the Committee.
The Party’s expanding political structure has also attracted other nationally recognised politicians. Earlier in the year, former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, joined the ADC, with the Party describing his entry as a boost to its growing political coalition.
The development has helped position the ADC as one of the opposition platforms seeking to challenge established political structures ahead of future elections.
For the Osun contest, however, the immediate focus is on building an effective grassroots campaign and ensuring that the Party’s national political machinery translates into electoral support across the State.
The 73-member Council is therefore expected to play a central role in coordinating the final phase of the ADC’s campaign.
With the August 10 rally approaching, attention will turn to the size of the crowd the Party can mobilise, the messages delivered by its national leaders and governorship candidate, and the issues that will dominate its final appeal to voters.
The final rally will also provide the Party with an opportunity to bring together the various elements of its campaign structure after weeks of mobilisation.
The ADC said the event would feature its national leadership, coalition leaders, campaign officials, supporters and members of the public.
The Party has consequently asked every member of the Election Management Council to be present, signalling the importance attached to the event as the campaign enters its concluding stage.
Beyond the rally, the performance of the campaign council will ultimately be measured by its ability to coordinate the Party’s grassroots structures, maintain effective communication with supporters and ensure that the ADC’s campaign message reaches voters across Osun.
The appointment of senior politicians such as Tambuwal, Ihedioha, Imoke and Nadama gives the campaign council a combination of political experience and organisational reach.
As the election approaches, the ADC will be hoping that the involvement of the senior figures strengthens its campaign and improves its chances in what is expected to be a competitive governorship race.
The immediate political test will come with the final rally in Osogbo on Monday, August 10, after which attention will increasingly shift from campaign mobilisation to the final preparations for the governorship poll.