Gov. Adeleke begging to join APC – Omisore

Former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, has reacted to speculations surrounding Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s alleged plans to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.

Speaking on Politics Today on Wednesday, Omisore dismissed the notion that Adeleke was being invited into the APC, instead describing the governor as a “political orphan” struggling to find relevance.

“I’ve not seen a situation where a state governor is struggling to enter another party. One, the PDP is no longer popular in Osun; half of its members have defected. The Aregbesola faction has now moved to ADC. So he [Adeleke] is now a [political] orphan. If they are coming to the APC, they should come home and talk to us,” he said.

Omisore also claimed that Governor Adeleke, alongside his elder brother and prominent businessman Adedeji Adeleke, had reached out to key APC leaders, including President Bola Tinubu and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, in efforts to facilitate his entry into the party.

“There was a meeting that we saw — his elder brother, the businessman, the widow’s father [a reference to Adedeji Adeleke], and himself — met with the President in Lagos. They also reached out to Dapo Abiodun, the governor of Ogun State, to bring him [Adeleke] into the party. So they are struggling,” Omisore said.

He further criticised Adeleke’s reported attempt to defect, suggesting that a popular leader should be able to win elections without switching parties.

“As a governor, if you are popular enough, go and take another party. Look at Governor Orji Kalu in 2007 — he formed PPA and won in Abia. The current governor of Abia [Alex Otti] left the APC, joined a new party, and won as well.”

“I’ve never seen a governor begging to enter a party in my life. This is the first time. He’s strongly begging, fighting to get into a party. The point is that when you want to come to a party, there must be a willing section of the party members. You must come to the home because politics is very local. What are they bringing to the party?” he added.

Omisore questioned Adeleke’s political strength in Osun, claiming that despite nearly three years in office, no major defection has occurred from the APC to the PDP.

“In the 2022 election, APC garnered 375,000 votes, and PDP had 403,000 votes. The difference between them was 3.97 per cent. That margin included the efforts of people who worked against APC, like former governor Aregbesola and other PDP leaders, who have now joined the APC.”

“Meanwhile, at least one-seventh of PDP members have moved to APC — people like Alhaji Isa Oyedokun, Dayo Babayemi, and Hon. Wole Oke — and more are still coming,” he said.

However, Governor Adeleke has repeatedly denied the defection rumours.

In a statement shared on his official X account on July 5, he restated his loyalty to the PDP and his commitment to good governance.

“I have been inundated with calls regarding rumours of a possible defection. I want to assure the good people of Osun State and Nigerians at large: I remain a loyal member and the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State.”

“My focus remains on delivering good governance and fulfilling our 5-point agenda for the Osun people. Please disregard the fake news and continue to support our mission for a better Osun State,” he wrote.

This is not the first time the governor has addressed such claims. In May, during a meeting with key party stakeholders, Adeleke also reaffirmed that he had no intention of leaving the PDP.