Findings by the Saturday Punch reveal that the governor’s close associates, including members of his cabinet, have confirmed the move, citing political pressure, threats to family interests, and uncertainty over the 2026 governorship ticket as major factors influencing the decision.
Despite the reports, Governor Adeleke has publicly denied plans to leave the PDP. In a statement issued on Friday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor dismissed the defection claims as mere speculation.
However, multiple developments, including cryptic social media posts by his aides, have continued to fuel the controversy, even sparking an anti-Adeleke protest within the APC camp on Friday.
Rumours of Adeleke’s potential switch first gained traction in June after he visited President Bola Tinubu at his Bourdillon residence in Lagos.
Accompanied by his brother, billionaire businessman, Adedeji Adeleke, and his nephew, Afrobeat star Davido, the visit drew public attention when Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, shared photos from the meeting online.
The warm interaction and close shots with the President and First Lady raised eyebrows within both the PDP and APC camps in Osun.
Insiders in the governor’s cabinet, including a commissioner and two special advisers, told Punch that Adeleke had concluded plans to join the APC.
The commissioner, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Adeleke had briefed some of his allies in his cabinet and the House of Assembly about his defection plan.
He said, “Mr Governor will join the APC, but the official declaration will not be now. His planned defection is a result of political threats, the Federal Government withheld local government funds, and there are emerging threats to the businesses of his billionaire brother, Dr Deji Adeleke. So, there are many things at stake.”
A senior official of the APC in the state also confirmed that the governor was consulting with APC leaders, but stated that his fate hangs on Tinubu’s decision.
The APC official told Punch on Thursday, “Adeleke has been consulting many APC leaders. He has employed some mercenaries to lobby the President. But Baba Bisi Akande and Oyetola have not consented to his defection. The President will need to convince them before the governor will declare his defection.”
In a symbolic move, the Osun PDP Director of Media and Information and a Senior Special Assistant to Adeleke, Oladele Bamiji, posted “On Your Mandate!” on his Facebook timeline around 5 pm on Thursday.
The slogan is synonymous with Tinubu, having originated from his loyalists in Lagos State.
Bamiji’s post triggered reactions from other Facebook users, including APC members kicking against the move.
One of the governor’s special advisers, who also spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the governor’s apparent uncertainty over the validity of his second-term ticket in the face of the PDP crisis might have triggered his proposed defection.
The aide said, “INEC has released the timetable for the 2026 governorship election, and the PDP primary is coming up in September. Who is going to sign Adeleke’s nomination form amid the ongoing crisis in the PDP?
“We are all afraid that whatever happens in the PDP regarding the Osun election may be subject to litigation, which may invalidate the governor’s nomination and victory. That is why the governor wants to leave.”
Also subtly confirming the move, another SSA to Adeleke, Olalekan Badmus, tweeted on his 𝕏 handle on Friday, “After we all agreed to this, the next question is where?
“Governor Adeleke is currently consulting and evaluating all options on the table, including the peculiarities of all current political parties. Reports of imminent arrival at a particular party are at best speculative.”
Amid growing confirmation from the governor’s close associates, Saturday Punch gathered that Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, , and members of the President’s immediate family reportedly facilitated Adeleke’s move to the APC.
Reacting to the defection rumour, the spokesperson for the Osun State Government, Rasheed, said Adeleke remained in the PDP and was not considering joining the APC.
In a statement on Thursday, Rasheed quoted Adeleke as saying, “I assure the good people of Osun that I remain part and parcel of the PDP family. I am not defecting to any party.”
He said the governor reaffirmed his commitment to implementing his administration’s five-point agenda and urged the public to disregard what he described as “fake news,” while assuring the continued delivery of good governance and democratic dividends.
Also reacting, the National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, said the party’s national secretariat was unaware of any defection plan by the Osun governor.
In an interview with Saturday Punch, Basiru said, “The only thing I can say is that I’m not aware of Adeleke’s so-called planned defection as the National Secretary of the party. All other things are hypothetical for now. I cannot be reacting based on social media frenzy!”
Similarly, the spokesperson for the Osun APC, Kola Olabisi, stated that the party leadership in the state was unaware of any move by Adeleke to join their ranks.
“It is still in the realm of speculation. The leadership of the APC in Osun, led by Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, is not aware of the governor’s defection plan,” he said.
When asked whether the party would welcome Adeleke, Olabisi replied, “Only the leadership of the party will speak on that.”
Despite official denials, there is palpable tension among members of both the APC and PDP in Osun State.
According to Punch, the development has unsettled many APC members, particularly loyalists of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, who fear that Adeleke’s entry into the APC could jeopardise the chances of their governorship aspirant, Bola Oyebamiji.
