By Olaide Olanisebe
Ismail Omipidan’s article, “Osun: A Willing Suitor Vs Unwilling Bride,” reflects a personal position shaped more by long-standing political bias than present-day facts. The claim that Governor Ademola Adeleke is lobbying to join the APC is not supported by any formal statement or action from the governor or his administration. The suggestion of desperation is speculative and unhelpful.
Governor Adeleke contested and won the 2022 election as a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His victory was upheld by the courts, including the Supreme Court. This is not open to reinterpretation through political opinion. The same electorate that had once punished the APC for its internal fractures returned a verdict in Adeleke’s favor—through the ballot.
While Omipidan names individuals who have left the PDP—Dotun Babayemi, Wole Oke, Baba Oyedokun, among others—the truth remains that none of them delivered a statewide electoral victory. Many of those defections were triggered by personal ambitions and intra-party disagreements, not ideological commitment. Adeleke’s victory in 2022 was not a fluke, nor was it the work of any single faction. It was a result of direct engagement with the electorate across all 332 wards in Osun.
It is misleading to frame the situation as though Adeleke is pleading for acceptance into the APC. In reality, it is the APC that appears to be reacting nervously to the governor’s growing influence. The anxiety speaks volumes. If the governor were truly weak or unpopular, as claimed, there would be no need to issue long public warnings about the effect of his potential defection.
On performance, it is simplistic to reduce Adeleke’s time in office to dancing or occasional missteps. His administration has made progress in critical areas—wage payments, pension clearance, road projects, digital governance reforms, and grassroots empowerment. Leadership styles differ, but results are what count.
Political preferences are fair, but deliberate distortion is not. Governor Adeleke is not knocking on anyone’s door. He is focused on his job, and the conversation about 2026 should be left to the people of Osun to decide—at the appropriate time, through the democratic process.
Olaide writes from Oyo State
