Adeleke Under Pressure As APC Claims He’s Seeking Deflection

Former Osun State Deputy Governor, Iyiola Omisore, says Governor Ademola Adeleke is desperate to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) because of fears he may lose his second-term bid.

Adeleke, who won the 2022 election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is expected to seek re-election in August 2026.

Rumors have been growing about Adeleke’s alleged plans to leave the PDP and cross over to the APC, but the governor has publicly denied the claims. However, the PDP in Osun has been rocked by internal divisions and a wave of defections in recent months, weakening its structure ahead of the next governorship poll.

Speaking during a political programme on Channels Television, Omisore said Adeleke has lost key allies within the PDP and is now isolated politically. He described the governor as a “political orphan” and claimed that even though Adeleke hasn’t officially approached the APC, he appears to be struggling to get in through back channels.

According to Omisore, the APC remains a united force in the state, unlike the PDP which has seen its ranks depleted. He pointed to the 2022 election results where the PDP narrowly edged out the APC by a slim margin of about 3.97 percent, noting that many of those who worked against the APC then — including members of the Rauf Aregbesola faction and some PDP defectors — have now joined the APC.

Omisore argued that Adeleke is making private moves to align with influential APC figures outside Osun, such as Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, instead of directly engaging Osun APC leaders. He warned that joining the APC cannot be done from outside or through informal alliances, insisting that party loyalty is built locally and not through friendships in other states.

He also questioned Adeleke’s strategy, saying that a sitting governor who believes in his popularity should not need to struggle or lobby to switch parties. For Omisore, the governor’s push to join APC is rooted in fear — a sign, he says, that Adeleke is not confident of securing re-election through the PDP.

The situation reflects deeper instability in the PDP ahead of the 2026 off-cycle elections, as more of its high-ranking members continue to jump ship. For now, Adeleke remains with the PDP, but with political pressures mounting and his opponents circling, the road to re-election may be rougher than expected.