The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke became a “victim of circumstances” in the internal crisis that led to his defection from the party.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, the PDP’s factional National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the situation was avoidable if the party’s leadership had taken decisive action when early signs of decline emerged.
Ememobong, who criticised what he described as a culture of “feeding the monster,” said the party allowed problems to grow until they consumed its own members.
He said: “Governor Adeleke’s defection is that of a victim of circumstance. Every problem has human causes, and therefore requires human solutions.”
He argued that rather than confronting internal issues from 2023, the party’s leaders opted for negotiations that failed to address the root causes.
“Immediately the decline started, the party ought to have acted. But we kept negotiating, hoping that when passions calmed, people would reconsider. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen,” he added.
The PDP spokesman noted that the decisions taken at the controversial Ibadan convention further complicated matters, leaving Adeleke unable to fully escape the consequences of the party’s missteps.
“Adeleke has become a victim of circumstances arising from vicarious liabilities which he cannot completely extricate himself from,” Ememobong said.
He insisted that while the governor shares some responsibility, the larger burden rests on the party hierarchy for failing to intervene at the right time.
The comment comes amid heightened tensions within the PDP, following a series of defections and internal disputes across various states.
