Defection Of  Osun Senators To APC In Anticipation Of Similar Move By Gov Adeleke – Aide

By Ayodele Oni

An Aide to Osun state Governor, Ademola Adeleke, Hezekiah Bamiji, has described the defection of two Senators from the State to the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a miscalculated step.

Baniji, a Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Governor Adeleke, said the defection of two senators – Francis Fadahunsi and Olubiyi Fadeyi – from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC was in anticipation of a similar move by Governor Adeleke.

Bamiji, who spoke as a guest on Channels Television on Thursday, pointed out that the Federal Lawmakers thought Governor Adeleke would  defect to the APC, and therefore fell into the trap of the ruling party, which holds sway at the federal level.

“Maybe what I can say is a kind of miscalculation on the part of the lawmakers. The rumour perhaps overwhelmed them, thinking that the governor was coming, they felt that they were Abuja politicians and should be faster than the governor.

“The governor is the leader of the party in Osun State. I felt they should have consulted with their leader and perhaps also the people in their various constituencies, but I am not sure that was done.

“Even if the governor was going to move, did they ask the governor any questions? Yes, the APC set a trap for them, and they entered,” he added.

Bamiji also said that the governor did not need to defect to the APC to provide good governance to the people of Osun State.

Fadahunsi (Osun East) and Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central) were among the four senators who were on Wednesday formally received from the opposition PDP to the ruling APC to further solidify the party’s hold on the upper chamber.

Their defection increased the number of APC senators in the Senate to 70, up from the 50 it had at the commencement of the current 10th National Assembly in June 2023 while it reduced the number of PDP senators to 28.

There has been speculation over Adeleke’s political future, with rumours suggesting he might defect to the ruling APC, but changed due to uncooperative attitude of APC members in the state.