You Should Have Left PDP For ADC – Okolugbo Tells Adeleke

A former Special Adviser to the Senate President and public affairs analyst, Kenny Okolugbo, has criticised Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Accord Party (A), saying the move could weaken his re-election chances.

Naija News recalls that Adeleke had left the PDP amid prolonged internal leadership disputes, factional divisions and conflicting legal claims within the party.

He subsequently joined Accord as part of preparations for his second-term bid.

Speaking on Arise Television on Sunday, Okolugbo argued that the governor risked losing votes from traditional PDP supporters because the party would still appear on the ballot.

“People will still vote for the PDP because the party is on the ballot, and he could lose some of those votes,” he said.

Okolugbo said Adeleke might have enjoyed a stronger political advantage if he had defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) instead.

He further stated, “If I were him, I would have left the PDP for the ADC because he would have had a greater advantage over the APC.

“I think he didn’t play that political move well.”

The analyst maintained that the governor’s choice of Accord could complicate efforts to retain voters who had previously supported him under the PDP platform.

Okolugbo also commented on the controversy involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Osun State Government over the restriction placed on the state’s account.

He said the state government should have immediately demanded clarification from the anti-graft agency and explained the transactions identified as suspicious.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu’s intervention did not amount to a declaration that the EFCC acted unlawfully.

Okolugbo said, “The President didn’t say what the EFCC had done was wrong. He was clearly saying that the optics were concerning because it was just 10 days to the election.”

The political analyst said the state government should have responded to the EFCC’s concerns by providing details of the withdrawals under investigation.

“In my opinion, the Osun State Government should have responded by seeking clarification from the EFCC and providing explanations for the withdrawals that had been flagged as suspicious,” he said.

Okolugbo also referred to comments attributed to Adeleke suggesting that he anticipated a restriction on the state’s accounts.

“The governor had said he knew there would be a restriction on the accounts, which suggests he had prior information,” he added.