Group urges Adeleke to stay in PDP, support Tinubu’s re-election bid

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

A political interest group, Osun Leaders of Thought (OLT), has advised Governor Ademola Adeleke to remain in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while forming an alliance with President Bola Tinubu in support of his 2027 re-election bid.

The group, in a statement issued on Friday by its Chief of Public Affairs, Comrade Adesola Adigun, warned against mounting pressure on the governor to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that such a move could destabilize both Osun State and the national political landscape.

“We take note of mounting pressure from far and near to get Governor Ademola Adeleke to cross over to the APC. This is ill-advised and unnecessary. The governor should remain in the PDP and continue the good work he is doing for the good people of Osun State,” the group said.

While reaffirming support for President Tinubu’s second-term bid, the group described it as a matter of ancestral and regional loyalty, emphasizing that Osun, being Tinubu’s ancestral home, has a moral obligation to support his second term.

Adigun maintained that defecting to the APC would be counterproductive for both Adeleke and Tinubu, describing the move as a political distraction that could upset the fragile balance in Osun’s political structure.

They cited four reasons: Adeleke’s unmatched political appeal in Osun, the internal crisis within the state APC, the historic rivalries among top Osun political actors, and the existing bipartisan sentiment among voters in support of both Tinubu and Adeleke’s re-election.

The group noted that to win Osun, Adeleke’s brand is essential for the president, without dilution, while also warning that merging the governor with former adversaries within the APC could reignite unresolved tensions.

They recommended a strategic alliance between Adeleke and the presidency, without a party switch. “They called on Mr. President and the Governor of Osun State to enter into a mutually supportive agreement. Nothing like defection should be included. We speak on behalf of many silent leaders of thought across Osun State,” the statement read.