Former All Progressive Congress National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore has dismissed speculation about Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s potential defection to the ruling party, describing the Peoples Democratic Party governor as a “political orphan” seeking relevance.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Omisore stated: “I’ve not seen a situation where a state governor is struggling to enter another party. 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.”
The former senator alleged that Adeleke and his billionaire brother Adedeji Adeleke had approached APC leaders for integration: “There was a meeting that we saw — his elder brother, the businessman, the widow’s father [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 questioned the governor’s political value, noting: “In the 2022 election, APC garnered 375,000 votes, and PDP had 403,000 votes. The difference was 3.97 per cent. That margin included efforts of people like former governor Aregbesola who worked against APC.” He listed prominent PDP defectors including Alhaji Isa Oyedokun and Hon. Wole Oke as evidence of PDP’s weakening structure.
The APC chieftain mocked Adeleke’s approach: “I’ve never seen a governor begging to enter a party in my life. This is the first time… What are they bringing to the party?” He cited examples of Governors Orji Kalu and Alex Otti who won elections after forming new parties.
Governor Adeleke has consistently denied the defection rumors. In a July 5 statement on his X account, he affirmed: “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.”
The governor had similarly dismissed such claims in May during a PDP stakeholders’ meeting, maintaining his commitment to the opposition party amidst ongoing political realignments in Osun State.