Former Osun State Deputy Governor, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has referred to Governor Ademola Adeleke as a “political orphan,” accusing him of desperately trying to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). Omisore made the comments during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, where he addressed widespread rumours that Adeleke, elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may be planning to switch to the APC.
Omisore stated he was not officially aware of Adeleke’s move but emphasized that joining a party requires acceptance by existing members. He questioned what value Adeleke would add to the APC, pointing out that in the 2022 governorship election, the margin between the APC and PDP was just 3.97 percent. He said that margin included the impact of internal party rifts, such as the actions of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola and some PDP leaders, who have since defected to the APC.
He also noted that, despite Adeleke holding office for nearly three years, no APC members have crossed over to the PDP, while several PDP figures have already joined the APC. Omisore named key figures like Alhaji Isa Oyedokun, Dayo Babayemi, and Hon. Wole Oke, adding that more defections are expected.
He argued that a truly influential governor could command support by forming or moving to a new party, referencing the governor of Abia State who recently left the APC for another platform. According to Omisore, Adeleke’s attempt to join the APC seems more like a struggle to stay relevant than a strategic move. “Why is he begging to enter the party? He is struggling, begging, and fighting to join APC,” he said.
Commenting on recent efforts to form an opposition coalition, Omisore dismissed it as chaotic and full of conflicting personal ambitions. He described the key figures involved as “hawks,” and noted that each of them—Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, and Aminu Tambuwal—has expressed presidential ambitions, making the coalition unstable. “Politics is not mathematics; it’s reality,” he added.
