Adeleke’s Visit to Tinubu Not About APC Defection —Campaign Council

The Imole Campaign Council has denied reports that Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, is planning to leave the Accord Party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) following his recent meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The council, which managed Adeleke’s campaign during the August 15 Osun governorship election, said the governor’s visit to Tinubu was a normal post-election engagement and had no political defection agenda.

In a statement on Friday, the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the council, Bamidele Salam, said Adeleke’s visit was in accordance with the political tradition of engaging the President after off-cycle elections.

“The Imole Campaign Council wishes to state that the visit by Osun State Governor, Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke to His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday is in line with customs and political tradition at the conclusion of off cycle elections in Nigeria,” the statement said.

The council said Adeleke’s victory in the election made it appropriate for him to pay his respects to the President and appreciate the office of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

It added that Tinubu had, before the election, repeatedly called for the electoral process and security agencies to ensure a free and fair election in the state.

“The visit also afforded Mr. President as the father of the Nation and the Osun State Governor a platform to discuss issues pertaining to peace, security and progress of Osun State after the tensed election,” it said.

The meeting, however, triggered speculation that Adeleke could be preparing to dump the Accord Party for the APC.

Reacting to the reports, the campaign council said there was no basis for the speculation, stressing that neither Adeleke nor the members of his delegation discussed defection during the meeting.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the visit of Mr Governor and top members of his Campaign team had absolutely nothing to do with a plan to move from Accord to the All Progressives Congress as being insinuated in certain quarters,” the statement said.

The council added, “We wish to state unequivocally that at no stage during the visit to Mr President was the issue of decamping to the APC discussed.”

It thanked Tinubu for receiving Adeleke and members of his campaign team and assured the governor’s supporters that he remained focused on governing Osun State and delivering on his mandate.

Adeleke visited Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, shortly after winning re-election in the Osun governorship poll.

The governor was accompanied by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, during the visit.

It was Adeleke’s first known meeting with Tinubu since his victory in the August 15 election, where he defeated the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, to secure a second term.

The meeting came days after Tinubu had personally congratulated Adeleke on his victory, describing the result as “a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in our country.”

The election was keenly contested and featured allegations of violence and disputes between rival political camps, making post-election reconciliation one of the key issues following the declaration of the results.

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