APC Kicks As Adeleke Meets Bisi Akande Over Osun LG Crisis

Adeleke meets Bisi Akande over LG crisis, seeks peaceful resolution.
APC rejects meeting, accuses governor of seeking “soft landing.”
PDP defends Adeleke, says opposition wants to destabilize Osun.

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Tuesday met with former interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, in Ibadan to discuss the ongoing dispute over local government administration in the state.

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APC Rejects Meeting, Accuses Adeleke of Seeking “Soft Landing”
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Adeleke was accompanied by key government officials, including the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaiye; Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye; Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun; Commissioner for Commerce, Bunmi Jenyo; and Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.

The meeting comes amid a heated face-off between the Osun Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC over control of local government areas, a crisis that has already turned violent, with at least six people reported dead.

Following an initial session with aides present, Adeleke and Akande proceeded to a private discussion that reportedly lasted two hours. Images from the meeting quickly spread on social media, sparking reactions and speculation that the governor was seeking a political resolution to the lingering dispute.

Providing insight into the meeting, Osun’s Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, explained that Adeleke’s visit was to brief Akande on the crisis and legal complexities surrounding it.

“The governor deemed it necessary to inform Baba Akande about the developments, particularly the judicial rulings and their interpretations. He emphasized that as a peace-loving leader, he expects the APC to seek legal redress rather than resort to self-help, which could lead to violence and loss of innocent lives,” Alimi stated.

He noted that Akande welcomed the governor warmly and agreed that violence should not be an option in resolving the dispute.

Similarly, Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, confirmed that the governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the rule of law and urged all parties to avoid escalating tensions.

APC Rejects Meeting, Accuses Adeleke of Seeking “Soft Landing”

Reacting to the visit, the APC, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, condemned Adeleke’s move, alleging that the governor sought Akande’s intervention for a “soft landing” regarding the reinstatement of local government chairmen and councillors.

“It is shocking that Governor Adeleke could visit Chief Akande after PDP-backed thugs, acting under his administration’s body language, killed one of our reinstated local government chairmen, Hon. Remi Abass, in Ikire, along with other APC members,” the statement read.

The APC insisted that Akande, as a seasoned democrat, would not compromise the interests of his party. The party urged Adeleke to pursue any grievances through legal channels rather than political negotiations, emphasizing that the Supreme Court was the appropriate venue for redress following the Akure Court of Appeal ruling of February 10, 2025.

“We want to impress upon Governor Adeleke and his co-travellers that Pa Akande is a democrat, and no amount of under-the-table arrangements would make him work against his party’s interests. If Adeleke has any case after the Akure verdict, the proper place to go is the Supreme Court,” the statement added.

The APC also advised Adeleke to work with the reinstated local government chairmen and councillors to ensure the delivery of democratic dividends across the state.