The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has disclosed that Governor Ademola Adeleke was rejected because he was a liability that would hurt the party’s integrity.

The party made this known in a statement signed by its chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, as a response to a communiqué released after a meeting by the Osun State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Leadership Caucus.

Recall that Redio Afinju had earlier reported that the Osun PDP Leadership Caucus has reaffirmed their support for Governor Adeleke as their flagbearer in the forthcoming election, despite his rumored defection to the APC.

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The APC Chairman, however, hinted that the fear of losing the 2026 governorship election drove Governor Adeleke to desperately want to join the progressive fold, adding that Osun PDP has become a “leprous house” deserted by “decent politicians” with the intention to serve the people.

“We state first of all that the highly informed Osun State public, who are aware that it was the fear of the impending 2026 election defeat that motivated the governor to desperately seek in our party an asylum for his political survival in 2026, are excited about the measured treatment meted to the Osun State governor and his desperate party men,” he stated.

While affirming that a political party is open to all interested parties, the Osun APC chairman noted that Governor Adeleke’s entry is suspected and intended to tarnish the party’s image and create a public perception crisis.

He said, “A political party is a free-exit-free-entry arrangement; therefore, everyone is welcome. However, in a situation where an entry is suspected to tarnish the image of the party and create a public perception crisis for it, the party is at will to foreclose such a destructive entry as it was the case in the instance of Adeleke’s attempt to smuggle himself into our party.”

Lawal added that Governor Adeleke was running from the wrath of the state’s electorate after mismanaging almost N1 trillion in 30 months and was looking for cover in the APC.