Why Adeleke’s defection to Accord was delayed — Osun commissioner

The Osun State Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, has revealed that the
recent Peoples Democratic Party convention in Ibadan delayed the state governor,
Ademola Adeleke’s public declaration for the Accord Party.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Alimi
explained that although Adeleke had already completed the paperwork for his
defection, he chose to wait until the PDP event was concluded to avoid
unnecessary controversy.

He stated, “He resigned his membership from the People’s Democratic Party on
November 4. He had actually joined the Accord Party by November 6, but he
delayed the unveiling because of the convention of the PDP, which was going on.”
Alimi added that the governor did not want to be accused of undermining the PDP
gathering.

“He didn’t want to be seen as part of the people who disrupted the event. He left
the People’s Democratic Party because the leadership crisis heightened,” he said.
Adeleke formally joined Accord on Tuesday, weeks after ending his long-standing
affiliation with the PDP, the platform on which he was elected into office.
In his resignation letter addressed to the PDP Ward 2 Chairman in Sagba
Abogunde, Ede North, Adeleke blamed worsening internal conflict for his
departure.

“Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), I hereby resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party with
immediate effect,” he wrote.

Alimi said Adeleke became convinced that remaining in the PDP threatened his
political future. “He left the People’s Democratic Party because the leadership crisis was
unending,” he noted.

The commissioner said the governor’s move to Accord aligns with his governance
style and policy priorities. “Yesterday, the Governor unveiled Accord because, looking at their manifesto, it goes in line with good governance that Adeleke is delivering, and everybody since
yesterday has actually welcomed him and given kudos to Governor Ademola
Adeleke for going to Accord,” Alimi said.

Despite joining Accord, Adeleke remains committed to backing President Bola
Tinubu’s re-election bid, the commissioner said. “That is no longer news for anybody. Even when we were in the People’s Democratic Party, we adopted the President [Tinubu] for a second term,” he stated.

Alimi added that Tinubu’s historical ties to Osun also make the governor’s support
natural: “When you trace the root of Mr President, you trace it to Osun state. He is one of
us, and we have to give him the necessary support.”

Adeleke’s exit adds to the growing list of high-profile members who have left the
PDP amid ongoing disputes within the party’s national structure.
The PDP currently operates under two rival national leaderships.

One faction, backed by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Governor Bala
Mohammed of Bauchi, held a convention in Ibadan following conflicting court
rulings: one approving the event and another asking that it be suspended.
Rather than resolving the party’s internal struggles, the convention further
intensified the crisis.