Iyiola Omisore, a former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State a political orphan who is desperate to join the ruling party.
Omisore dismissed rumors that the APC is inviting Adeleke. Instead, he claimed the governor is the one trying hard to join the party. This followed news of meetings between Adeleke, his family members, and APC leaders, including President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on a political show, Omisore said it is unusual for a sitting governor to beg to join another political party. He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has become weak in Osun State, with many of its members already gone. He added that the Aregbesola faction has moved to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), leaving Adeleke without a strong base.
Omisore referred to a meeting in Lagos where Adeleke, his elder brother Adedeji Adeleke, and others met with President Tinubu. He said they also reached out to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, all in an effort to help Adeleke enter the APC.
He wondered why a governor like Adeleke wouldn’t just form or join a smaller party if he is truly popular. Omisore gave examples of former governors like Orji Kalu and Alex Otti, who left their main parties but still won elections under new ones.
Omisore said he had never seen a governor fight so hard to join a party. He emphasized that joining a political party isn’t just about meetings—it requires the support of people at the local level.
He also questioned Adeleke’s political strength, pointing out that in the 2022 Osun election, the PDP only won by about four percent. That result, he said, came with help from former APC members like Aregbesola, who are now back in the APC.
Omisore claimed that many PDP members in Osun have already moved to APC, including figures like Alhaji Isa Oyedokun, Dayo Babayemi, and Hon. Wole Oke, with more expected to follow.
Despite all these claims, Governor Adeleke has said he is not leaving the PDP. On July 5, he posted a message on social media confirming he remains loyal to the party and is focused on delivering good governance to the people of Osun.
He said the rumors about his defection are false and asked people to continue supporting his administration.
This isn’t the first time Adeleke has denied plans to leave the PDP. Back in May, during a meeting with party leaders, he also made it clear that he had no intention of joining the APC.
Talks about his possible defection became louder after he, his brother, and music star Davido visited President Tinubu privately in Lagos on June 3.
These rumors are coming at a time when the PDP is facing internal problems and losing many members to other political parties.
