Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has dismissed rumours of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), amid rising political momentum around the newly adopted opposition platform, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement released on Saturday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke described the reports of his purported defection as false and misleading.
He assured party members and supporters in Osun and beyond that he remained firmly rooted in the PDP, where he currently serves as the state leader.
“I assure the good people of Osun that I remain part and parcel of the PDP family. I am not defecting to any party,” Adeleke declared.
The governor, who urged citizens to ignore what he termed “fake news”, said his administration remains focused on delivering good governance through its five-point development agenda.
“I am committed to our people and our mandate. What concerns me now is fulfilling the promises we made, not party speculation,” he said.
Adeleke’s clarification comes in the wake of growing reports surrounding the ADC, which was officially unveiled last Wednesday as the platform for a coalition of opposition leaders gearing up to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
The coalition, which includes influential political figures from both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP, is said to be in advanced talks with several serving governors across party lines.
According to insiders, five sitting PDP governors have already pledged allegiance to the coalition but are waiting for the resolution of internal disputes within the party, particularly involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, before making their moves public.
A former senator from Katsina State, who is involved in the coalition’s planning, confirmed the development.
“Five PDP governors have given us their commitment; they are going to join us, but they want to see the end of Wike’s drama in the PDP,” he said. “What people don’t know is that some of the governors, including those in the APC, are supporting us.”
He added that discussions with some APC governors began over a year ago and are still ongoing.
Another source, close to a former minister involved in the movement, disclosed that at least seven governors—across northern and southern Nigeria—are being quietly courted. “You want us to put everything we’re doing on the pages of a newspaper? No! But I can tell you that we are talking to seven governors,” he said.
