Fresh revelations have emerged detailing how Governor Ademola Adeleke’s purported plan to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was abruptly halted.
According to a report by Sunday Sun, close allies of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola, played a strategic role in blocking Adeleke’s alleged defection bid.
Sources revealed that a high-level caucus meeting was convened at Oyetola’s residence in Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo, on Friday night, where key party stakeholders dissected the situation. The meeting reportedly focused on the political implications of Adeleke’s rumored defection and charted a roadmap for the APC’s return to power in Osun State ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial elections.
A senior APC figure at the meeting was quoted as saying he personally intervened to derail Adeleke’s defection, assuring President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the APC could secure Osun in 2027 without Adeleke’s involvement. The chieftain also emphasized that “federal might” would be deployed to ensure a decisive APC victory in the 2026 governorship race.
The gathering also reviewed the ongoing controversy surrounding local government allocations in the state. According to the sources, the APC leadership is determined to resist any judicial interpretation that could favor the PDP-led Osun State Government on the issue. The withholding of local council funds, despite legal and civil outcry, is expected to persist as a political pressure point.
The strategic session concluded with a firm resolution: the APC must reclaim the governorship seat by November 2026. Former Governor Oyetola reportedly appealed to all aspiring APC candidates to close ranks and work in unity to secure victory at the polls.
Leaders at the meeting pointed to the 2022 defeat, attributing it in part to then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision not to deploy federal resources during the election. They vowed that under the current administration, such a scenario would not repeat itself.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Government and the PDP have continued to condemn the Federal Government’s withholding of local government funds, branding it unconstitutional and politically motivated. Legal experts and civil society organizations have also criticized the move, especially in light of a recent Appeal Court ruling said to favor Governor Adeleke’s administration.
As the political temperature rises ahead of Osun 2026, all eyes remain on the evolving dynamics within both parties—and how they could shape the state’s electoral future.
