The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained that Governor Ademola Adeleke was prevented from defecting to his party because he would be a liability that would hurt the integrity of the APC.
The leadership caucus of the state chapter of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had, in a communique signed by Governor Adeleke and 27 other chieftains of the party, blamed the APC for the failure of the defection plan.
A statement by the APC chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, yesterday, explained that fear of impending 2026 election defeat motivated the governor to desperately seek asylum in the APC for his political survival in 2026.
“It is no longer news that the Osun PDP has become a leprous house deserted by decent politicians with the intention to serve the people. From 2023, when the party began to morally emaciate, and become a war loot of the Adeleke dynasty, bright minds and people with good names to protect, who could not tolerate the deceit, shenanigans, and high-level corruption and brigandage the Adeleke government represents, daily troop out from the tattered umbrella into our party, thus leaving the PDP with carcasses and political dregs with no structure and hope to retain power in future elections.
“Therefore, the self-adulation of the PDP caucus that it remains the most popular party in Osun State is merely self-consolatory, as the claim could not be substantiated with facts. Did the caucus aggregate the opinion of the parents and students of the University of Ilesa, where students are charged N1.5 million per session, before arriving at its claim? Did the caucus seek the opinion of the Osun State public, who are angry that Governor Adeleke devoted N13 billion to purchase luxury cars for his aides and unproductive politicians without buying a single bus to ease the public transport in the state?
“Of course, the claim of the PDP caucus does not align with the position of the over 32,000 job applicants, who were duped by the state government under the pretext of offering them teaching employment.
“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 and is only looking for a cover in the APC to escape the people’s anger at the poll in 2026, are the ones who rejected his repugnant overtures and deceptive proposal to join the APC.
“A political party is a free-exit-free-entry arrangement; therefore, everyone is welcome. However, in a situation where an entry is suspected to tarnish the image of the party and create a public perception crisis for it, the party is at will to foreclose such a destructive entry, as was the case in Adeleke’s attempt to smuggle himself into our party.
“Would the caucus have expected the stakeholders in the APC to welcome, with open arms, characters under whose hands no fewer than 30 members of the APC were slaughtered and bludgeoned to death for no other reason than for supporting the candidature of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to become the country’s president in 2023?
“Would the caucus have expected the APC to give free entry to those who are still answering to the murder charge of a leading campaigner of Tinubu’s re-election bid and Chairman of Irewole Local Government, Remi Abass, who was killed just five months ago in the premises of Irewole Local Government Council?
“Would the caucus in all conscience expect the APC to welcome into its fold, characters under the investigations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for funneling into their private accounts local government allocations meant for the people’s good?
“Those who rejected the defection of Adeleke to the APC knew the intention was deceptive and was solely because of the troubled re-election bid of the governor, having regard that the same PDP is daily recruiting canvassers and opinion molders to tarnish the image of President Tinubu on radio and television in the state, while he is all over Abuja pretending to be friends of the President.
“You cannot be criticising, rubbishing and abusing the national leader of our party, President Tinubu, at the corners of the state, and at the same time, be putting up a friendly posture all in the interest of your desperate re-election bid, which has hit the rock before the election proper.
“A true lover of President Tinubu would not warehouse public resources, while citizens languish and suffer economic deprivations.
“A true lover of Tinubu would use the commonwealth of the people, which has increased by over 300 percent since the assumption of office of the current administration, to equip hospitals, provide agricultural and food subsidies and fund key sectors of the economy to improve the well-being of the citizens.
“Osun State citizens are tired of Governor Adeleke and cannot wait to reject him at the polls. Little wonder the masses trooped out in their thousands yesterday afternoon in Osogbo and across the state to celebrate the roadblocks to Governor Ademola’s unholy efforts to migrate to the truly progressive party and a party of first choice, the APC.
“Let the PDP cry no more, as this is the payback time from the people, payback from Osun State people, who have been the victims of their high-handedness, lack of focus, profligacy, corruption and refusal to honour court judgements.
“Let Governor Adeleke stop complaining and await the people’s verdict in August 2026,” Lawal said.
Credit: The Sun