Osun APC rejects Governor Adeleke’s alleged defection bid

Osun APC has dismissed claims that Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking to join the party, describing the alleged move as an act of desperation motivated by fear of defeat in the 2026 election.

In a statement issued on Wednesday in Osogbo, the state capital, the APC chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, alleged that Governor Adeleke’s reported defection bid lacked genuine conviction and was merely a survival strategy to escape political consequences.

“It was the fear of the impending 2026 election defeat that motivated the governor to desperately seek in our party an asylum for his political survival,” Lawal said.

Lawal accused the governor of mismanaging nearly N1 trillion during his 30 months in office, claiming Adeleke is now attempting to flee the backlash from Osun voters.

“Those who knew Governor Adeleke is running from the wrath of the Osun State electorate, after mismanaging close to N1 trillion in 30 months of his administration, are the ones who rejected his repugnant overtures and deceptive proposal to join the APC,” he added.

The party chairman warned that accepting Adeleke into the APC would have tarnished the party’s image and created a public relations crisis.

“In a situation where an entry is suspected to tarnish the image of the party and create a public perception crisis, the party is at will to foreclose such a destructive entry,” Lawal stated.

He also criticized the governor for allegedly pretending to support President Bola Tinubu in Abuja while reportedly sponsoring media attacks against him in Osun State.

“You cannot be criticizing President Tinubu behind closed doors and still claim to be his ally in public,” he concluded.