Defection: ‘PDP Have Rejected Political Merchants’, Adeleke Mocks Oyedokun, Babayemi

-Says ‘The One Or Two Leaders Who Left Failed To Even Take Their Wives With Them’

The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has taken a swipe at a former National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, and a governorship aspirant under the party, Prince Dotun Babayemi.

Adeleke said the exit of the duo who recently defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress in the state, would pave the way for the party further to unite ahead of the 2026 Osun State governorship election.

This was as the Governor warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not tolerate ghost membership as the party commences its membership registration exercise.

Adeleke said a statement by the National Secretary of APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, that the party’s membership strength of 45 million was a lie.

The Governor spoke on Friday at the Osun PDP secretariat in Osogbo, during the official opening of the registration of party members.

Adeleke said the PDP represents the people, and as such, they must capture real human beings in their registers.

His words “Our people have rejected political merchants whose goals are merely self-serving business dealings rather than public interest. We must therefore forge ahead with building a stronger party. I am happy to note that the elders’ caucus of the party has been restructured. Several meetings of the caucus have been held.

“The one or two leaders who left failed to even take their wives with them. I salute the faithfulness of party leaders and members to remain steadfast. PDP is the home of true friends of the people. We are the real Progressives with massive delivery of good governance to the people.

“I commend the former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Senator Oluwole Alabi; the former State Chairman of the party, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, the former South West Zonal Vice Chairman of the party, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo and several other party leaders who have reunited with the mainstream. We are now one strong united family.

“There is no “Anigba” again. From ward to state level, we must embrace each other and forge ahead to build a united victorious party ahead of 2026. We must not discriminate against each other. We are a family of progressive comrades. We are not enemies but allies in the struggle to deliver dividends of democracy using our party as a platform.”

The governor added, “To that end, we must urgently update our register in line with the directive from the national headquarters. The registration exercise must be thorough and real. We should not act like another party that falsified their party membership register.

“We must ensure real men and women rather than ghosts are registered as party members. PDP is not a party of ghost members and workers.”

Earlier, the Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, while addressing members, cautioned against discrimination during the registration exercise.

He said, “Let all members of the party go back to their various wards and begin to mobilise for the party. There should be no discrimination, every member must be accommodated, the registration of members must not divide us, we are one big family. We should stand firm and remain one united family.”