“Adeleke Is Desperate, Begging to Join APC Over Fear of Re-election Loss” – Omisore Blasts Osun Governor

Former Osun State Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of attempting to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) due to fear of losing his re-election bid in 2026. Speaking on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on Wednesday, Omisore described Adeleke as a “political orphan” amid ongoing speculation that the governor, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is working behind the scenes to join the APC.

Although Adeleke has consistently denied such plans and affirmed his loyalty to the PDP, Omisore said the governor’s actions suggest otherwise. According to him, internal crises within the PDP and a wave of defections have left Adeleke politically vulnerable in the lead-up to the August 8, 2026 governorship election.

“I’ve not seen a situation where a state governor is struggling to enter another party,” Omisore said. “The PDP is no longer popular in Osun; half of its members have defected. The Aregbesola faction has now moved to ADC. So, he is now a political orphan. If they are coming to the APC, they should come home and talk to us.”

He questioned the logic of Adeleke’s reported attempts to join the APC, insisting that a legitimate defection must involve dialogue with grassroots stakeholders, not backdoor negotiations. “When you want to come to a party, there must be a willing section of the party members,” he said. “You must come to the home because politics is very local.”

Omisore pointed out that Adeleke’s margin of victory in the 2022 election was narrow — just 3.97% — and included support from factions that have since realigned. “In the 2022 election, APC garnered 375,000 votes, PDP had 403,000 votes. This 3.97 percent includes those that worked against the party, like former governor Aregbesola and other PDP leaders who have now moved to APC,” he said.

He also emphasized that over the past three years, there has been no significant movement from the APC to the PDP, while numerous PDP figures, including Alhaji Isa Oyedokun, Dayo Babayemi, and Hon Wole Oke, have crossed over to the APC. Omisore argued that Adeleke’s reported strategy to enter the APC through relationships with figures like Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun is misguided.

“APC is not divided in Osun State. I’m not saying Adeleke cannot join the party — he has the constitutional right — 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 said.

Omisore concluded that Adeleke’s maneuvering stems from a fear of defeat in 2026. “He is struggling, begging and fighting to join APC because he is scared of losing re-election,” he said.