The interim National Secretary of the Action Democratic Congress, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has met with former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola to woo him to the party.
Aregbesola succeeded Oyinlola as Osun governor on November 27, 2010, after almost three and a half years of litigation bordering on the 2007 gubernatorial poll.
The ADC scribe has, since his appointment on July 2, 2025, alongside the interim national chairman, Senator David Mark, been mobilising across the South-West states to woo members into the coalition party.
The party, with likes of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, among others, had vowed to remove President Bola Tinubu from office by 2027.
Pictures of the visit went viral on social media on Monday, with many commentators insinuating that the visit may not be unconnected with both national and Osun State politics.
Sources at the meeting, which was held at Oyinlola’s country home in Okuku, Osun State, on Sunday, said Aregbesola urged his predecessor to join the ADC.
A source who attended the meeting and preferred anonymity since he was not authorised to commence said, “He (Aregbesola) visited Oyinlola at Okuku yesterday (Sunday) evening to woo him to the ADC.
While responding, Oyinlola just appreciated him for the visit.”
When asked for further clarification about the meeting, Osun ADC chairman, Charles Omidiji, said he was aware of the meeting Aregbesola had with Oyinlola.
“I’m aware of the meeting. It’s part of politics. I didn’t attend the meeting. I’m currently in Abuja. But politics is a game of numbers.
“Don’t completely rule out the possibility of big members of PDP moving to ADC. We are all looking for people to make victory easy for us,” Omidiji said.
Asked about PDP and APC leaders in the state that ADC leaders were working on to defect into its fold, Omidiji further said, “Many of them are coming. I can tell you for free.”
Oyinlola, in an interview on Arise TV last week, had alleged that the All Progressives Congress was intimidating Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to dump the PDP and join its ranks.
“It feels horrible, I would say, but the fact is that there is always enormous pressure from the ruling party on all the elected officers, and that’s what is producing this defection on their part.
“Why my governor has not gone was just because it would be a dilemma. APC has not fared well with the people of Osun State, and I can say that. Telling him to roll over to the APC will mean ruining his political career because the people will not go along with that. He knows it,” he added.
While confirming that the pressure on the governor persisted, Oyinlola dismissed any notion that he might be considering defection, describing himself as “a battle-tested general.”
He said, “No amount of pressure will shake me off my post,” boasting of his experience as a former military administrator, a civilian governor, and a PDP national secretary.
The revelation followed the communique released by the Osun State PDP, endorsing Adeleke for the 2026 governorship election and President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidency.
(Punch)