Three Former Osun Lawmakers Leave APC

Three members of the All Progressives Congress, who used to be lawmakers in Osun State, have quit the party.

The lawmakers are Lekan Oyediran, Aleem Bakare, and Folorunso Oladoyin. They sent their resignation letters to the local government chairmen of the party.

The resignations took place between June 1 and 2. Bakare said he left because of lack of internal democracy. The other two did not give reasons in their letters.

Reports show that Oyediran served as the representative for Odo Otin State Constituency from 1999 to 2003. Aleem Bakare represented Ejigbo State Constituency from 2003 to 2007.

Folorunso Oladoyin was in the Assembly from 2011 to 2019 for Ife South State Constituency. He later became the State Commissioner for Education under former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola until the government ended on November 26, 2022.

Bakare also worked in Oyetola's administration as the Special Adviser on Land Matters.

All three ex-lawmakers had ties to the former National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore. He has stayed away from the party since the governorship primary in December 2025.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Wednesday, Jamiu Olawumi, spokesperson for the Senator Iyiola Omisore Campaign Organisation, confirmed that the three former lawmakers were close to Omisore.

Olawumi added that the ex-Deputy Governor of Osun State did not ask them to leave APC. He said they likely made the decision after thinking about their political future.

He also dismissed rumors that Omisore might leave APC, stating, "The anxiety is unfounded and baseless. We support Iyiola Omisore for his governorship ambition. We saw his capacity and that is why we invited him to contest.

"If the outcome of the contest results in our strongest supporters leaving, it may cause some to switch to the winning side. But that does not mean Omisore is leaving the party. He was not our sole supporter. We are political associates. Those claiming he is leaving are just being mischievous.

"The people who left are also connected to Oyetola. Oladoyin was a Commissioner for Education under him. Oyetola is losing his supporters, just like Omisore. These are mainly Oyetola's close allies leaving the party. It is not about Omisore but their belief that the party has not met their needs."

In response, Osun APC spokesperson Kola Olabisi said the party is not worried about the resignations. He noted that those who left are simply exercising their freedom of choice.

Olabisi also mentioned that Osun APC has welcomed more key figures from the Peoples Democratic Party than those who left. He urged members to stay focused and work harder for future success.

He said, "In a democracy, people can join or leave politics freely. You cannot blame anyone for their decisions. If people are making noise about these three, can you compare them to two senators - Fadahunsi and Ajagunla - and three representatives who joined us with PDP trustee member Shuaib Oyedokun?

"What about Prince Dotun Babayemi, Kayode Oduoye, and others? We are not in panic. They are simply exercising their freedom of choice. We cannot deny them."