By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke is neither defecting to, nor allying with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) contrary to reports.
Indeed, his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, in a statement issued on Thursday, described the speculation as entirely false and misleading.
He said, “Our attention has been drawn to news reports and media enquiries about the purported defection of Governor Adeleke to the ADC or an alleged alignment with ADC leaders.
“These claims are baseless and should be disregarded.”
ADC is a coalition of prominent politicians including former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar; former Labour Party’s presidential candidate and ex-Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi; former Senate President, Rt Hon David Mark; former Interior minister and ex-Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; ex-Transportation minister, Rotimi Amaechi; and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai; among others, seeking to sack President Bola Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, from power in 2027.
Rasheed reaffirmed that Adeleke remains a loyal member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and will be seeking re-election on the party’s platform.
“The Governor has no alliance with anyone in the ADC. He is fully committed to the PDP, will contest under the PDP, and does not need any political alignment to win the 2026 governorship election with a wide margin,” he stated.
He further noted that the PDP in Osun has already endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, emphasizing that such a position further debunks any claim of a coalition with the ADC.
He attributed Adeleke’s continued popularity to his performance in office, noting that the people of Osun State are prepared to renew his mandate based on his record of achievements.
“The Osun electorate supports Governor Adeleke because of his impressive performance since assuming office. That good work is ongoing, and the people are determined to sustain good governance by re-electing him in 2026,” the statement added.
Adeleke also urged PDP members to remain focused and continue the ongoing efforts to strengthen party structures at all levels in preparation for another electoral victory.
