Omisore: Adeleke scared of losing re-election… struggling to join APC

Iyiola Omisore, former deputy governor of Osun, says Ademola Adeleke, governor of the state, is a “political orphan”.

There has been speculation that Adeleke, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Osun governor has repeatedly denied the claim and reaffirmed his commitment and loyalty to the PDP.

Adeleke will seek re-election on August 8, 2026 — in one of the few off-cycle governorship elections.

Owing to the leadership crisis in the PDP and gale of defections from the party, it has been speculated that the Osun governor is eyeing a new political party to boost his chances in the upcoming election.

Speaking on Wednesday during his appearance on ‘Politics Today’, a Channels Television programme, Omisore denied knowledge of the purported moves by Adeleke to join the APC.

“I’ve not seen a situation where a state governor is struggling to enter another party. One, the PDP is no longer popular in Osun; half of its members have defected,” he said.

“The Aregbesola faction has now moved to ADC. So, he (Adeleke) is now a (political) orphan. If they are coming to the APC, they should come home and talk to us.

“I’m not aware, but the point is that when you want to come to a party, there must be a willing section of the party members. You must come to the home because politics is very local.

“What are they bringing to the party? In the 2022 election, APC garnered 375,000 votes, PDP had 403,000 votes, and the difference between them was 3.97 percent.

“This 3.97 percent includes those that worked against the party, like former governor Aregbesola (ADC), and other leaders of PDP who have all moved to APC now.

“For the past three years, he has been governing that state with no single defection from APC to PDP.

“Meanwhile, one-seventh of PDP members have moved to APC, which you know, of course — Alhaji Isa Oyedokun, Dayo Babayemi, Hon Wole Oke and others are still coming.”

Omisore also questioned Adeleke’s motive for reportedly pushing to join the APC.

“As a governor, you are popular enough to take another party. The governor of Abia has now left the APC for a new party,” he said.

“Why do you want to force yourself on the party? Why is the governor (Adeleke) begging to enter the party?

“He is struggling, begging and fighting to join APC.”

Omisore also said Adeleke cannot join the APC through his association with Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun.

“APC is not divided in Osun state. I’m not saying Adeleke cannot join the party.

“He has the constitutional right to associate with any party, but it is not by going to look for friendship in Ogun or Abuja to join the Osun APC.

“You cannot be meeting Governor Dapo Abiodun to anchor you into our party.”

He added that the Osun governor is only scared of losing his second-term bid, which is why he is seeking to contest under the platform of the APC.