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The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it rejected an alleged attempt by Governor Ademola Adeleke to defect to the party, describing him as a political liability whose defection would damage the APC’s integrity.
This reaction comes just hours after Adeleke and 27 chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) announced their adoption of President Bola Tinubu as their preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, citing his Osun roots as a key reason.
In a communiqué released after its leadership caucus meeting, the PDP disclosed that Adeleke had shelved his defection plan after facing stiff resistance from both PDP and APC members. The caucus also reaffirmed its support for Tinubu’s re-election.
Responding in a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, said the party could not accept Adeleke due to the “baggage” he would bring, accusing him of running a corrupt and directionless government.
“We state first of all that the highly informed Osun public—aware that it was the fear of an impending 2026 election defeat that motivated the governor to desperately seek asylum in our party for political survival—are excited by the treatment meted out to Governor Adeleke and his desperate loyalists,” Lawal said.
He accused the Adeleke administration of being a “leprous house” that has driven away principled politicians, claiming that only “carcasses and political dregs” remain in the PDP.
According to Lawal, since 2023, when the PDP began to morally collapse and became the private loot of the Adeleke dynasty, individuals with integrity and vision have been leaving the tattered umbrella for the APC.
He said the PDP has been reduced to an empty shell with no viable structure to retain power in future elections.
Lawal further alleged that Adeleke’s administration had imposed exorbitant school fees on students of the University of Ilesa, charging as much as N1.5 million per session.
He claimed the governor spent N13 billion on luxury vehicles for his aides, defrauded over 32,000 teaching job applicants, and mismanaged nearly N1 trillion in just 30 months of his administration.
He said the governor’s support for President Tinubu would not shield him from defeat in the 2026 governorship election.
“Political parties are, by nature, open to entry and exit. However, when such an entry threatens the public image of the party or risks creating a perception crisis, the party is within its rights to deny such entry—as was the case with Adeleke,” Lawal stated.
He concluded by affirming that the APC is prepared to reclaim power in Osun in 2026 and warned that no alliance, endorsement, or defection attempt would protect Adeleke from electoral defeat.