PDP tells APC Chair, Lawal, to resign as members defect from party
By Jeleel Olawale
The Osun State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Sunday Bisi, has called on the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, to voluntarily resign due to the recent wave of defections and the ongoing crisis within the party.
Speaking on Tuesday at the flag-off of the PDP’s chairmanship and councilorship candidates in Enuwa, Ile-Ife, Bisi stated that the situation in his local government was enough to demonstrate Lawal’s inability to effectively lead the APC in Osun.
“The APC in Ife-East has completely fallen apart, and the party’s leadership is weak. I have seen mass defections in Ejigbo, Ife Central, and today in Ife-East. This clearly shows that APC is no longer a viable force in Osun. I advise Tajudeen Lawal to resign voluntarily as the chairman,” Bisi declared.
He added that the APC’s internal division was evident in the party’s struggle to choose a unified candidate for the 2026 governorship election, which he believes would result in another defeat by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“The APC is not a party to reckon with. In the upcoming local government election on 22nd February, we will show that they are irrelevant. The APC should not even think of contesting the 2026 governorship election in Osun,” Bisi emphasised.
Former national secretary of the PDP, Professor Wale Oladipo, spoke in support of Governor Adeleke’s administration, highlighting the ongoing development projects in Ile-Ife, such as the Lagere flyover and the dualisation of the Iremo-Moore road, which he believes will boost the local economy.
Oladipo also expressed gratitude for the PDP’s appointment of an Ife indigene as Deputy Governor and affirmed Ife’s support for Governor Adeleke’s re-election bid.
The event also saw a significant number of APC members defect to the PDP. Akeem Oladejo, speaking on behalf of the defectors, cited the PDP administration’s achievements as the reason for their decision to switch parties. “The PDP government has shown incredible results in just two years, while the APC failed to deliver after over a decade,” Oladejo said.
At the event, the PDP members unanimously endorsed Governor Adeleke for a second term, urging the people of Ife-East to vote for the party in the upcoming local elections to ensure continued development at the grassroots level.
In response, the State APC Director of Information and Strategy, Prince Kola Olabisi, dismissed calls for Lawal’s resignation, stating that the APC remained focused on its efforts to reclaim the state. He criticised the PDP for its internal divisions and claimed that defections from the APC to the opposition were a sign of their loss of direction.
“They are ranting because they know the APC is still the party in control at the federal level. We are not discouraged and will continue our efforts to return Osun to APC,” Olabisi stated.