As political tension thickens in Osun State, sources reveal that Governor Ademola Adeleke’s secret negotiations to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have hit a dead end despite his team’s bold outreach to top APC figures in Abuja.
The defection of two Osun senators Francis Fadahunsi and Olubiyi Fadeyi, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC initially stirred speculation that they were paving the way for Adeleke. However, insiders now claim the senators acted independently and were never part of the governor’s strategy.
Adeleke’s talks with key APC actors are said to have stalled, especially at the state level where the party’s leadership, loyal to former governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, is reportedly unwilling to accommodate him.
Speaking, APC chieftain Remi Omowaiye dismissed the governor’s approach as informal and unacceptable.
“For me, the defection remains a social media stunt. If he truly wants to join the APC, he should speak directly with party leadership, especially Oyetola, who remains our leader in Osun. As of today, no such conversation has happened,” he said.
Omowaiye also accused the governor of bringing “baggage” to the table:
“He sacked teachers and health workers without replacement. He’s constructing sub-standard roads and bridges, and we’ve asked for the structural designs to no avail. What do we tell the people when he joins us with that kind of record?”
Meanwhile, a senior PDP source close to the governor admitted Adeleke is eager to cross over but only with guarantees.
“The governor is negotiating with key APC figures in Abuja. His major request is an automatic ticket for the 2026 governorship race and a commitment to help re-elect President Bola Tinubu in 2027,” the source disclosed.
But reports from APC’s national secretariat suggest those talks have also reached an impasse.
“Adeleke’s team was told to return and realign,” said an insider. “The senators who defected acted for their political survival. They were not part of Adeleke’s negotiation. Right now, only the President and Oyetola can influence a breakthrough.”
With Oyetola’s faction reportedly unwilling to yield and the national leadership keeping quiet, Adeleke’s plans remain suspended, leaving him politically stranded, at least for now.
