EXCLUSIVE: How Adeleke’s bid to join, get APC ticket for Osun 2026 collapsed

Verifiable information reaching NewsClick Nigeria suggests that Governor Ademola Adeleke’s move to join the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial election in Osun state, may have crumbled.

NewsClick Nigeria reports that Adeleke, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), came into office in 2022 after defeating then-incumbent and predecessor, former Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the APC. His tenure expires in 2026.

In the last weeks, there have been repeated reports of the Governor scheming to join the APC in the state, a move he and his media aides initially dismissed as ‘fake news’.

But impeccable sources in the presidency and the Osun APC spilled that indeed, Adeleke was making desperate moves to join the party owing to the unending crisis tearing the PDP at the centre, coupled with the recent high-profile defections from the party to other parties.

According to them, the Governor and his team mishandled the defection that could have seen him emerge as the party’s flag bearer. They noted that rather than approach the issue from his home state (Osun APC), Adeleke was busy seeking assistance from APC governors, particularly those from the South West.

A presidential source told NewsClick Nigeria that the Osun Governor’s defection case was yet to be tabled at the presidency. “I think some smart Alecs possibly at the villa or even at the National headquarters of APC in Abuja are giving him fake assurance that all is well with his planned move to the APC. Adelekes’s efforts to decamp is not and were never on the table in the Presidency,” he asserted.

Another strong source within the Osun APC said the Adelekes may pay heavily for attempting to even defect in the first place after all their initial show of integrity.

“Whether or not Adelekes are moving into the APC, the thought of it alone has already cost them a chunk of their popularity rating. Many conscious non-partisan members of the public no longer take them seriously. They are now seen as the same as others,” the source said.

 

Stormy days ahead

NewsClick Nigeria gathered that if the defection move does not scale through, the Governor may face stormy days ahead particularly as it relates to the release of withheld local government funds.

“The Osun state government may become insolvent if they don’t have access to local government funds by August,” a source in the know of the State’s financial position who pleaded anonymity confided in NewsClick Nigeria.

Recall that local government employees in the state under the aegis of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), had shunned council secretariats since the battle over control of councils began between APC and PDP elected officials.

 

A badly managed defection move

A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Diran Odeyemi has said the defection move by the Governor was badly managed, hence the stumbling blocks to its success.

Odeyemi in a social media post said the move was marred with rumours that President Bola Tinubu was begging Governor Adeleke to join the APC.

“Mismanagement of a process oftentimes leads to unfavourable outcomes. Mismanagement could be the result of a lack of good strategies, knowledge, or even overconfidence.

“When the rumours began to fly around that Gov Adeleke would defect to the APC, it was received with mixed reactions on both sides. While some APC members felt it was a welcome development, others felt it would lead to chaos within the party. However, on the PDP side, the narratives that PBAT was begging the Gov to join the party ahead of the 2027 polls were the deal breaker.

The defection of an incumbent governor to the opposition was not new. It is as old as our democracy but the presentation of the Osun PDP defection was poorly managed. It left sour grapes in the mouth of its proponents. How can PBAT be begging Gov Adeleke, even though he did? Must it be heard in the market square?” he said.

The journalist cum politician hinted that the move might have finally hit the rocks.

“The feelers from last night’s meeting showed that Osun PDP might have outdone itself, and the declaration Ankara already shared amongst supporters against Wednesday, 23rd July 2025 might as well serve other purposes.

“In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, says the old proverb, but permanent interests. The planned defection was a good move sensing the national calamity that has befallen the PDP, after all the more the merrier.

“The lesson from the charade that has extended over three weeks is that silence is golden, Osun PDP should brag less and focus on good governance. “

 

Two PDP senators dump party

Meanwhile, in the heat of all these, two senators from the state elected on the platform of the PDP have resigned their membership of the party adding to the Governor’s second term bid challenges.

The senators are Francis Fadahunsi of the Osun East senatorial district and Olubiyi Fadeyi of the Osun Central.

The Osun senators announced their PDP membership resignation in separate letters addressed to their ward chairpersons.
In a letter addressed to the PDP ward 4 chairman in Obokun LGA and dated July 12, Fadahunsi attributed his resignation to the “irreparable and irreconcilable differences” in the party since the 2023 elections.

“I wish to formally notify you that I am resigning my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect, due to the irreparable, irreconcilable differences and protracted legal battles that have bedeviled the party at the national level after the 2023 general elections,” Fadahunsi said.

“This was concluded after consultation and engagement with my political associates, family, and friends.”

In his own letter addressed to the PDP ward 3 chairman in Oke-Ejigbo and dated July 12, Fadeyi said the court cases that led to factions at the party’s national level influenced his decision to dump PDP.

“I wish to formally notify you that I am resigning my membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect,” Fadeyi said.

“Irreconcilable differences and irreparable division that have emerged and court cases and counter court cases in the last 3 years which have created faction in the party at the national level.

“This was concluded after consultation and engagement with my political associates, family, and friends.”

The two senators did not announce the political party they will join.