Osun 2026: How Adeleke’s Plot To Join APC Was Frustrated

Fresh details have emerged on why Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State reported defection plan to the All Progressives Congress (APC) collapsed.

According to Sunday Sun, loyalists of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun governor, Gboyega Oyetola, played a pivotal role in truncating the governor’s rumoured defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.

Sources disclosed that a strategic caucus meeting was held at Oyetola’s residence in Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo, on Friday night, where the matter was extensively discussed.

It was gathered that leaders of the APC outlined the sequence of events that led to the collapse of Adeleke’s alleged plan to join the ruling party. Discussions also focused on preparations for the 2026 governorship election and broader 2027 electoral ambitions.

A national leader of the APC, who was at the meeting, was quoted as saying he personally ensured that Adeleke’s defection plans were frustrated. The APC Chieftain reportedly told the gathering that he had also given assurance to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that Adeleke’s support would not be needed to secure victory in the 2027 presidential election in Osun.

He stated that “federal might” would be deployed to guarantee an APC win in the 2026 governorship election.

Sunday Sun disclosed that the leadership meeting also discussed the lingering impasse over local government allocations in Osun state.

The APC leader allegedly revealed that efforts were made to ensure the court ruling on local government leadership was not interpreted in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led state government, adding that withholding allocations to the local councils in Osun would continue, despite widespread criticism from lawyers, activists, and the state government.

According to sources, the meeting resolved that the party must reclaim the Governor’s Office by November 2026. Former Governor, Oyetola reportedly appealed to all APC governorship aspirants to work together in unity for the party’s success.

Leaders at the meeting also referenced the 2022 governorship election, where they claimed late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to deploy federal forces contributed to the APC’s defeat, vowing that a similar scenario would not be allowed to repeat itself under the current leadership.

Recall that several legal practitioners and civil society groups have criticised the Federal Government’s continued withholding of Osun’s local government allocations, despite an Appeal Court ruling said to favour the Adeleke-led administration.

The Osun State Government and the PDP have repeatedly described the action as unconstitutional and politically motivated.