The speculated defection of Governor Ademola Adeleke to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun State, may be long in coming as unconfirmed reports have it that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, is allegedly blocking the invitation by President Bola Tinubu to the governor to join the party.
It was further learnt that, apart from Oyetola, the immediate past governor of the state, some top APC members are also said to be working against the possible defection of Adeleke into the party.
President Tinubu had, during a recent private visit to him by the Adeleke Family at his Bourdillon, Lagos residence, extended an invitation to the Osun State governor in order to forge a common southern front.
Follow up invitations were also said to have been conveyed by close confidants of the president to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state under Adeleke, all reportedly canvassing the Yoruba agenda.
However, sources from the two main political parties in state, the APC and the PDP, disclosed that both Oyetola and the top echelon of the Osun APC have overruled the invitation by President Tinubu to Governor Adeleke to defect to the APC.
It was learnt that Oyetola and his team from Osun APC told Mr President that the invitation to Adeleke cannot work in the best interest of Osun APC.
The development reportedly happened after Oyetola return from a trip to Europe.
The minister was reported to have met his cousin, the president, on Saturday and prevailed on him to withdraw the invitation.
A member of Oyetola team who craves anonymity said the Saturday meeting at the State House, Abuja led to the cancelation of a scheduled meeting between the president and the Adeleke team.
According to the source, the President had narrated that Governor Adeleke was invited to join together to strengthen the home front and, indeed, the entire South-West ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The minister was reported to have told the president that the issue of automatic ticket, control of party structures and others cannot be ceded to the Adelekes.
Details for the stance of Oyetola cannot be ascertained, just as all efforts to get a response from the Osun PDP failed, as at the time of this report.
However, it was further gathered that talks were still ongoing over the possible defection of Governor Adeleke from the PDP to the APC.
