Purported defection of Adeleke stirs mixed reactions in Osun PDP, APC
As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirms August 8, 2026 as the date for the Osun State governorship election, political manoeuvring has intensified across the state, with all major parties, especially the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), strategising to secure victory.
The 2022 election saw Governor Ademola Adeleke of the PDP defeat APC candidate Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, with 403,371 votes and wins in 17 of Osun’s 30 Local Government Areas. In response, the APC vowed to reclaim the governorship seat in 2026.
Osun APC’s Director of Media, Mr Kola Olabisi, issued a statement rebuking the PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, who had boasted that the PDP would continue to govern Osun indefinitely. Olabisi dismissed the claim as political arrogance and cited past defeats of the PDP at both state and national levels.
Olabisi remarked: “Such hubris has always been the beginning of PDP’s downfall. Let’s not forget their failed 60-year dominance claim nationally and similar statements in Osun that were overturned by the emergence of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.”
Meanwhile, speculation has resurfaced regarding Governor Adeleke’s possible defection to the APC, following a recent closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, reportedly attended by his elder brother, Dr Deji Adeleke, but not his nephew, music star Davido. While the PDP previously dismissed such talk as false and malicious, fresh rumours have reignited political debate.
A socio-political group, Osun Leaders of Thought, described the meeting as a sign of political maturity and a welcome effort toward regional cohesion.
The group’s spokesperson, Adekunle Adebayo, stated, “It is commendable that President Tinubu welcomed Governor Adeleke warmly. This shows statesmanship and a dedication to national unity that transcends party lines.”
However, differing opinions persist. Some political blocs advocate for Adeleke to remain in the PDP, while others encourage him to join the APC for strategic alignment.
One of such groups, Osun Democrats for Democracy (ODD), issued a statement in Osogbo, signed by its Publicity Director Comrade Adeoye Fasipe, calling on Adeleke to defect to the APC. The group cited instability within the PDP and national unity as key reasons.
“In light of the need to support President Tinubu amidst coordinated opposition and ensure political continuity after 2026, we respectfully urge Governor Adeleke to join the APC,” the statement read. “The PDP is fractured and unlikely to provide a viable platform. No Yoruba governor should be part of a coalition aimed at ousting a Yoruba president.”
The group urged the APC and President Tinubu to recognise the weight of Adeleke’s defection should it happen and ensure the governor receives full political support in return.
However, a youth coalition, Osun Progressive Youth (O-SPY), strongly rejected the idea of Adeleke joining the APC, warning President Tinubu and the APC leadership not to fall for what it described as a political charade.
O-SPY coordinator, Tunmise Ajiboye, said, “Osun people will reject Adeleke and PDP in 2026. Since 2022, major PDP figures have defected to APC, including Chief Shuaib Oyedokun, Prince Dotun Babayemi, and Peter Babalola, among others. The Adeleke family’s so-called political dominance is a myth.”
He added, “Adeleke’s elder brother, the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, lost repeatedly in previous political contests, including to Chief Bisi Akande in 1999 and Senator Mudashiru Hussein in 2011. The notion that Adeleke controls Osun politics is misleading.”
The group also claimed Adeleke would lose to even an ADC candidate should the APC hand him the governorship ticket by default.
Tensions escalated further on Friday as APC members protested at the party’s state secretariat in Osogbo, voicing opposition to any plan that would grant Adeleke an automatic governorship ticket should he join the party.
Protesters carried placards and insisted that Adeleke must compete fairly in the party’s primaries. Taofeek Afolabi, an APC youth leader, said, “We’re not opposed to his membership, but he must queue up like everyone else. No imposition.”
An APC executive at the secretariat, who preferred anonymity, expressed surprise at the protest, saying the leadership was unaware of the planned demonstration. No official party response had been issued at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Osun PDP caucus reiterated its unwavering loyalty to Governor Adeleke. In a communiqué issued recently, the caucus declared, “We will follow Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke wherever he goes.”
Stakeholders from the National and State Assemblies, State Executive Council, ALGON, party executives, elders’ forum and political appointees all affirmed their commitment to the governor, urging him to deepen consultations but assuring their support no matter the outcome.
Though Adeleke has not yet announced any political shift, observers remain watchful of further developments as Osun 2026 looms.
In another political twist, residents of Ile-Ife have called on President Tinubu to reward Senator Iyiola Omisore with the APC’s 2026 governorship ticket, citing his key role in securing Tinubu’s presidential nomination.
Reports suggest that Omisore has already begun laying the groundwork, holding private consultations, grassroots engagements, and building alliances in his quest for the APC ticket.
With the election still over a year away, Osun’s political landscape is already boiling with speculation, power plays and shifting loyalties, setting the stage for what promises to be a fiercely contested 2026 governorship race.