Osun APC mocks Adeleke over alleged overtures to Aregbesola

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of making overtures to former governor Rauf Aregbesola and the African Democratic Congress as part of an alleged plan to secure a platform for the 2026 governorship election.

In a statement on Thursday signed by its chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, the APC said Adeleke and his allies were “hobnobbing” with Aregbesola—now National Secretary of the ADC—to actualise his second-term bid amid an intensifying crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party at the national level.

The opposition claimed that with uncertainty clouding his re-election prospect under the PDP, Adeleke had resorted to seeking help from the same political figure he allegedly maligned recently.

“Adeleke had previously begged to join our party, APC, but his overtures were turned down on account of his fantastic failure in office, as his poor public rating, it was considered, could generate reproach for our party and erode public confidence in the progressive brand,” the statement said.

The party expressed surprise that Adeleke would allegedly now seek rapprochement with Aregbesola, whom he reportedly called “unprintable names” just four months earlier.

“It is strange that Adeleke now sees Aregbesola as his political messiah without whom his second-term ambition is in danger, given the legal hurdles being faced by the PDP at the national level,” the APC said.

“Complete lack of honour has made Adeleke go cap in hand, genuflecting before the man he called a pension eater, debt lover and a smelling shrew who does not know that he is smelling.”

The APC urged residents of the state to “reject him at the poll for betraying their mandate.”

But in a swift rebuttal on Thursday, the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, dismissed the APC’s claims as false and politically motivated.

“The report is false, and the entire assertions by the opposition are mere fabrication and fake news,” Rasheed said.

“Governor Adeleke is not negotiating with former Governor Aregbesola about ADC, and the governor is not joining ADC.

The members of the public are hereby implored to ignore the fake news from the pit of hell.”

Adeleke’s alleged moves come as the PDP grapples with internal leadership disputes. Although the party has scheduled a national convention for November 15 in Ibadan to elect new leaders, a rival faction has insisted the convention will not hold.

Ahead of the August 8, 2026 governorship poll, the Independent National Electoral Commission has directed political parties in Osun to conduct primaries between November 24 and December 15, 2025, in line with Section 84 of the Electoral Act.

Observers say unresolved nomination disputes at the national level could complicate Adeleke’s re-election bid. (Punch)