Why Adeleke delayed his defection to Accord Party — Osun govt

The Osun State Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, has explained that Governor Ademola Adeleke delayed publicly announcing his defection to the Accord Party due to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s national convention in Ibadan.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Alimi disclosed that Adeleke had already resigned from the PDP on November 4 and formally joined Accord on November 6. However, he withheld the public declaration to avoid being seen as disrupting the PDP convention.

“He delayed the unveiling because of the convention. He didn’t want it to appear as though he was trying to sabotage the event,” Alimi said. “He left the PDP because the leadership crisis kept escalating.”

Adeleke officially announced his move to Accord on Tuesday, weeks after leaving the PDP—the party on whose platform he became governor. In his resignation letter addressed to the PDP Ward 2 Chairman in Sagba Abogunde, Ede North, the governor cited the deepening national leadership crisis as his reason for quitting.

His exit adds to the growing list of governors and prominent figures who have left the PDP. Adeleke’s decision comes amid a divided national leadership structure within the party, with two camps laying claim to legitimacy. One faction, backed by Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, held a convention in Ibadan despite conflicting court orders—one permitting the event and another directing its suspension.

Rather than resolving the impasse, the convention has further intensified the party’s internal crisis.

According to Alimi, Adeleke feared that remaining in the PDP would jeopardize his political future. He said the governor chose Accord because its manifesto aligns with the administration’s governance priorities.

“Everybody has welcomed him since the announcement and commended his decision,” Alimi said.

Despite switching parties, Alimi emphasized that Adeleke remains firmly supportive of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

“That is no longer news,” he said. “Even while we were in the PDP, we adopted the President for a second term. His roots can be traced to Osun State, and we must give him the necessary support.”