Adeleke-Aregbesola Pact Can’t Save PDP from Defeat, Says APC Chieftain

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Chief Abiola Ogundokun, has dismissed reports of an alliance between Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, describing it as a “desperate political gamble that is bound to fail.”

In a statement issued on Sunday, Ogundokun said any purported collaboration between the PDP and Aregbesola’s African Democratic Congress (ADC) would not stop the APC from reclaiming the governorship seat in 2026.

He described the alleged meeting between Adeleke and Aregbesola—reportedly attended by the governor’s elder brother, Chief Adedeji Adeleke—as “a jittery manoeuvre disguised as a political strategy,” insisting that the APC remains Osun’s most disciplined and organised political structure.

According to him, “When a sitting governor begins to beg for alliances with other parties, it is a clear sign of declining popularity and fear of defeat. It shows that the end of the road is near.”

The APC stalwart added that the PDP’s alleged efforts to woo the ADC only reveal its desperation to stay afloat after being “battered by waves of internal crises and mass defections.”

“It is laughable that a party which once prided itself as the strongest in Osun is now running from pillar to post in search of survival,” Ogundokun said. “The PDP has lost its footing, while the ADC has been in disarray. Together or apart, both lack the discipline, structure, and loyalty required to challenge the APC.”

He maintained that the APC’s unity, grassroots reach, and internal cohesion would guarantee victory in the 2026 governorship election.

“Genuine political realignment is built on respect for structure and loyalty,” he noted. “The PDP and ADC possess neither. The APC will crush both at the polls when the time comes.”

Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, has debunked reports linking his principal to any alliance with Aregbesola or the ADC.

“The claim is false and mischievous,” Rasheed said. “Governor Adeleke is not negotiating with the former governor or contemplating joining the ADC.”

He added that the opposition’s narrative was “a fabrication intended to distract the government from its ongoing development agenda.”