You Should Have Dumped PDP For ADC” – Okolugbo Fires At 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, warning that the move could hurt his chances of securing re-election.

Adeleke had resigned from the PDP amid prolonged leadership disputes, factional divisions and conflicting legal claims within the party. He subsequently joined the Accord Party as part of his preparations for a second-term bid.

Speaking on Arise Television on Sunday, Okolugbo argued that Adeleke could lose some traditional PDP supporters because the party would remain on the ballot during the election.

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

According to the analyst, Adeleke might have been in a stronger political position had he defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) instead of the Accord Party.

“If I were him, I would have left the PDP for the ADC because he would have had a greater advantage over the APC,” Okolugbo said.

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

Okolugbo maintained that Adeleke’s decision to join the Accord Party could make it more difficult for him to retain voters who previously supported him under the PDP platform.

The analyst also weighed in on the controversy surrounding the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Osun State Government over the restriction placed on the state’s accounts.

He argued that the state government should have promptly sought clarification from the anti-graft agency and provided explanations for the transactions that had been flagged as suspicious.

Okolugbo also dismissed suggestions that President Bola Tinubu’s intervention amounted to a declaration that the EFCC had acted unlawfully.

“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,” he said.

He further argued that the Osun State Government should have directly addressed 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,” Okolugbo said.

The public affairs analyst also referenced comments attributed to Adeleke in which the governor reportedly said he was aware that the state’s accounts could be restricted.

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