The claim is further contradicted by recent statements from Salaam himself. A social-media post attributed to the ADC candidate said: “I remain fully in the race. I’m contesting to win.”

Available records also show that Salaam remains the ADC’s candidate for the 2026 Osun governorship election. He emerged from the party’s primary with all 520 valid votes cast by accredited delegates.

The ADC has also continued campaigning around Salaam’s candidacy. In July, a party spokesperson described him as the party’s governorship candidate and outlined the programme he intends to implement if elected.

Verdict: FALSE

There is no credible evidence at the time of writing that Najeem Salaam has withdrawn from the 2026 Osun governorship election to support Ademola Adeleke. The latest statements from Aregbesola and Salaam indicate the opposite: the ADC says it remains in the race and intends to contest the election independently.

Lanlehin said although some of the 11 aspirants who contested the primary had reservations about the process and its outcome, the need to build a stronger party ahead of the 2027 election had made reconciliation necessary.

He said, “We listened to their concerns and disappointments and, importantly, found that we have far more that unites us than divides us.

“Today, we are pleased to announce that four distinguished governorship aspirants have agreed to put the contest behind them and work with Senator Sharafadeen Alli in the interest of the party and our victory in the 2027 General Election.”

Lanlehin described the development as a victory for “collective interest over individual ambition, reconciliation over division and unity over factionalism.

“The party could only win the 2027 governorship election through unity,” noting that “no candidate could rely solely on those who supported him during the primary.

“No candidate can win a general election by relying only on those who supported him in the primary. A governorship election is won by a united political family.”

Meanwhile, in a communique issued after the reconciliation meetings, the aspirants pledged their “unwavering and unflinching support” for President Bola Tinubu, Alli and all other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

They also pledged to cooperate with the party and its campaign structures to ensure victory at the polls.

The committee said the reconciliation process with the APC “G6” governorship aspirants had been concluded, except for Barrister Akeem Agbaje.

The aspirants also expressed their desire to meet with President Tinubu at his convenience to reaffirm their support for his 2027 presidential bid.

Source: The Nation

The outreach came after the G100 published an Open Letter on August 2, 2026, addressed to opposition leaders, civil society figures and Nigerians of good conscience.

That letter laid out what the group called the Doctrine of Necessary Democratic Opposition, arguing that a credible and competitive opposition is essential to the health of Nigeria’s democracy.

The group said its conversations with party leaders revealed a shared awareness that closer collaboration is needed before the 2027 polls.

Leaders acknowledged, according to the G100, that achieving a credible opposition would demand sacrifice, compromise and a willingness to put national interest ahead of party or personal ambitions.

Building on the outcome of those talks, the G100 said it was preparing to host a Summit of Opposition Parties in Abuja on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The group described the summit as a structured platform where parties would begin working out the practical terms of any opposition alliance.

The coalition said any framework that comes out of the process must protect the legitimate interests of all parties involved while keeping the welfare of Nigerians as the top priority.

The G100 also repeated a warning at the heart of its doctrine: that a fragmented opposition weakens the choices available to Nigerian voters and ultimately serves neither the parties seeking power nor the people they hope to represent.