Tinubu wanted Adeleke in APC before Accord move, Osun Commissioner claims

Jeremiah Adeshina

Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu allegedly asked Governor Ademola Adeleke to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the governor eventually moved from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Accord Party.

Alimi made the disclosure on Thursday while appearing on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he responded to criticisms by former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, over Adeleke’s decision to leave the PDP ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

Oyinlola, who appeared on the programme on Tuesday, had criticised Adeleke for allegedly failing to consult key stakeholders before moving to the Accord Party.

But Alimi disputed the suggestion that Adeleke’s political realignment was simply a product of a failure to consult PDP elders.

“I’m saying this on the radio now, there was a request by the President that Adeleke should join the APC,” Alimi said.

The commissioner did not disclose when or where the alleged request was made or provide details of the circumstances surrounding it. His claim, however, introduces another dimension to the political realignment that has characterised the build-up to the August 15 governorship election.

The APC and President Tinubu have publicly campaigned for the party’s candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, as they seek to reclaim Osun State from the PDP.

Responding specifically to Oyinlola’s criticism, Alimi alleged that some of the PDP elders now questioning Adeleke’s decision had previously opposed the governor’s possible movement to the APC.

He specifically mentioned Oyinlola, former Osun PDP chairman Fatai Akinmade and Tajudeen Olayiwola Oladipo.

According to Alimi, the political elders had advised Adeleke to consider the Accord Party rather than joining the APC.

“They are part of the people. Ask anybody, Baba Oyinlola was the first one on the radio who said, the only party that is safe for Adeleke to join is the Accord,” he said.

Alimi further claimed that Oyinlola had associated the Accord option with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and advised Adeleke against joining certain other political parties.

“He traced the issue of Accord to Baba Obasanjo. He said Adeleke should not go and join APGA,” the commissioner said.

He also alleged that Oyinlola had opposed Adeleke joining the APC because of the political identity associated with the ruling party.

According to Alimi, some of the same political figures had previously declared that they would not join the APC.

“Baba Oyinlola even said that if to join APC is the only option, he would rather quit politics,” he added.

‘It Is an Old Wound’
Alimi argued that the disagreement between Adeleke and some PDP elders could not be properly understood without revisiting the party’s internal crisis during the 2022 governorship primary.

He said the crisis began when parallel primary elections were conducted, with some party leaders backing Dotun Babayemi against Adeleke.

According to him, the dispute subsequently resulted in a prolonged legal battle that travelled from the Federal High Court to the Court of Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court.

“They did not support Adeleke in 2022, even in 2018. They supported one, Dr Babayemi, and the case was brought up to the Supreme Court,” Alimi said.

The commissioner claimed that although Adeleke eventually prevailed in the legal battles, the two factions were unable to completely rebuild trust.

“When Adeleke won all the cases, they could not reintegrate properly into the mainstream of the party,” he said.
Alimi therefore described the current disagreement as an “old wound” that had not completely healed, rather than a fresh disagreement caused solely by Adeleke’s decision to join Accord.

“This is not about consultation, it’s about perhaps the whole wound has not properly healed,” he said.

The commissioner also disclosed that efforts had allegedly been made by the Adeleke administration to reconcile with Oyinlola.

According to him, a delegation comprising the deputy governor, himself, the Secretary to the State Government and the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly visited Oyinlola at his residence in Okuku.

Alimi said Oyinlola explained his grievances during the meeting and indicated that he expected Adeleke to personally visit him.

He said the delegation was subsequently surprised when reports emerged that Oyinlola had adopted an APC candidate ahead of the election.

“About three weeks after, we just heard that Baba Oyinlola has adopted an APM candidate in Osun,” Alimi said.

He added: “We thought it was a joke, maybe Baba just wants us to come back the second time, only for us to just hear that those people who were kicking against Adeleke going to APC, they are now the ones who are going to adopt an APC candidate.”

The commissioner rejected the allegation that Adeleke deliberately ignored senior party stakeholders before making his decision to leave the PDP.

He maintained that the governor and his associates had made attempts to resolve the differences within the party but that the longstanding disagreements had remained unresolved.

Alimi also defended Adeleke’s performance in office, arguing that some political leaders who initially criticised the governor had subsequently changed their assessment of his administration.

He recounted an incident during a campaign in which, according to him, a political leader who had previously criticised Adeleke publicly apologised to the governor after allegedly recognising his capacity to govern.

The commissioner said such developments demonstrated that the political disagreement surrounding Adeleke should not necessarily be interpreted as a reflection of his performance in office.

Tinubu Factor Enters Final Stretch
Alimi’s allegation that Tinubu asked Adeleke to join the APC comes at a critical point in the Osun governorship contest, with the President and the APC seeking to wrest control of the state from the PDP.

The APC has consistently maintained that Tinubu’s support in the election is for its candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, rather than Adeleke.

Adeleke, meanwhile, is contesting the election under the Accord platform after leaving the PDP amid internal disagreements.

The commissioner’s claim could not be independently established from the radio interview, and he did not provide specific details concerning when, where or in what circumstances the alleged request from Tinubu was made.

Nevertheless, the revelation adds another layer to the political realignment ahead of Saturday’s poll, particularly as the influence of the President and the APC has become a major issue in the campaign.

With the election now hours away, the contest is increasingly being shaped not only by the battle among the candidates but also by old alliances, political defections, unresolved party grievances and the influence of national political actors.

The outcome of Saturday’s election will determine whether Adeleke, now seeking a fresh mandate on the Accord platform, retains power or whether the APC’s Oyebamiji succeeds in reclaiming Osun State for the ruling party.