The Imole Campaign Council has dismissed speculation that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke is planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress, saying his recent visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a customary engagement following the conclusion of the state’s governorship election.
Adeleke, who contested the August 15 governorship election on the platform of the Accord Party, was received by Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a closed-door meeting. The governor secured 511,067 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
The meeting, however, sparked speculation in political circles that Adeleke could be considering a move to the ruling APC, particularly amid the growing realignment of political forces ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reacting to the speculation, the Imole Campaign Council said there was no political agenda behind the governor’s visit and that the issue of defection to the APC was never discussed.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the council’s Media and Publicity Committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, the council described the visit as part of Nigeria’s political tradition following off-cycle elections.
Salam said governors who emerge victorious in such elections have a responsibility to pay their respects to the President and Commander-in-Chief, particularly when the President had publicly charged electoral and security institutions to ensure a free and fair electoral process.
He added that Adeleke’s visit provided an opportunity for the governor and the President to discuss peace, security and the development of Osun State following what the council described as a tense election.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the visit of Mr Governor and top members of his campaign team had absolutely nothing to do with a plan to move from Accord to the All Progressives Congress,” Salam said.
He added, “At no stage during the visit to Mr President was the issue of decamping to the APC discussed.”
The clarification comes amid renewed speculation over Adeleke’s political relationship with Tinubu. Shortly after his re-election, the governor reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027, although his campaign council had previously rejected suggestions that the endorsement was the product of a political agreement.
The latest denial follows reports that Adeleke’s visit to the Presidential Villa had fuelled fresh rumours of a possible political realignment. The Imole Campaign Council, however, sought to distinguish political cooperation with the President from membership of the APC.
The council said Adeleke remained committed to the mandate given to him by the people of Osun State and would continue to focus on governance and the development of the state.
It also thanked Tinubu for granting Adeleke and members of his team the opportunity to meet with him.
The council assured Adeleke’s supporters that the governor remained committed to serving the people of Osun State who supported him during the recently concluded election.
The development is expected to sustain interest in the relationship between Adeleke and Tinubu as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify, particularly following Adeleke’s renewed endorsement of the President despite remaining outside the ruling APC.
For now, however, Adeleke’s campaign council insists that the governor’s meeting with Tinubu should be viewed as an engagement between two elected leaders rather than a precursor to defection.
The Guardian
