The Imole Campaign Council has dismissed reports suggesting that the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, is planning to defect from the Accord Party to the All Progressives Congress, APC, following his recent meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Imole Campaign Council, Bamidele Salam, the council described Adeleke’s visit to the President as a routine political courtesy that follows the conclusion of off-cycle elections in Nigeria.
“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.
According to the council, Adeleke, having secured victory in the recently concluded Osun governorship election, had a responsibility to pay respect to the office of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
The council further noted that Tinubu had consistently called for a free and fair election in Osun State, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and security agencies to ensure a credible process.
“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,” the statement added.
Addressing speculation that the meeting signalled plans for Adeleke to join the ruling APC, the campaign council firmly denied any such discussion.
“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 further stressed: “We wish to state unequivocally that at no stage during the visit to Mr President was the issue of decamping to the APC discussed.”
The clarification comes after Adeleke visited President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, days after winning a second term in office. He was accompanied by the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
The visit marked Adeleke’s first publicly known meeting with Tinubu since his victory in the August 15 governorship election. It also followed a congratulatory phone call from the President, who described the outcome as “a fitting assurance that democracy will continue to flourish in our country.”
The Imole Campaign Council, however, assured supporters that the governor remains focused on governance and committed to serving the people of Osun State.
Adeleke’s camp dismisses APC defection rumours after visit to Tinubu