Three former Osun lawmakers leave APC

---
Three leaders of the All Progressives Congress, who have served as lawmakers in the Osun State House of Assembly, have left the party.

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

These resignations happened between June 1 and 2. Bakare mentioned lack of internal democracy as his reason for leaving APC. The other two did not give reasons in their letters.

Sources from The PUNCH confirmed that Oyediran represented Odo Otin State Constituency from 1999 to 2003. Aleem Bakare served Ejigbo State Constituency from 2003 to 2007.

Folorunso Oladoyin was in the Assembly for Ife South State Constituency from 2011 to 2019. He later served as the State Commissioner for Education under ex-governor Adegboyega Oyetola until the government left office on November 26, 2022.

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

All three ex-lawmakers were connected to the former National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore. Omisore has kept his distance from the party since the APC governorship primary in December 2025.

Jamiu Olawumi, spokesperson for the Senator Iyiola Omisore Campaign Organisation, spoke with The PUNCH about the situation. He confirmed that the three lawmakers were close allies of Omisore.

Olawumi added that Omisore did not tell them to leave APC. He said they must have decided to move on after thinking about their political futures.

He also dismissed claims that Omisore would leave APC soon. He stated, “The anxiety is unfounded and baseless. We support Iyiola Omisore for his governorship ambition. We approached him, we saw his capacity and capability, that is why we invited him to contest.

“If the outcome of the contest means our strongest defense line is gone, those who cannot handle the shock might leave the party and join the winning side.

“That does not mean Omisore is leaving the party because he was not our breadwinner. We are political associates. Those who want to create trouble say his men are leaving, and he will leave too.

“Those who left are also Oyetola’s men. Bamisayemi (Oladoyin) was a Commissioner under Oyetola. While Oyetola loses his cabinet members, Omisore is also losing his supporters. These are supporters from Oyetola's inner circle leaving the party. It is not about Omisore but their belief that the party has not fulfilled their dreams.”

Osun APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, responded by saying the party was not in panic. He noted that those who left simply used their right to choose.

Olabisi mentioned that Osun APC had welcomed more prominent members from the Peoples Democratic Party than the number of those who left. He urged party members to focus and work harder for upcoming elections.

He added, “In a democracy, there is free exit and entry into politics. People can exercise their freedom of association anytime. No one should begrudge anyone. If people are worried about these three individuals, can we compare them to two senators, Fadahunsi and Ajagunla, and three representatives who joined our party with a trustee member of PDP, Shuaib Oyedokun?

“What about Prince Dotun Babayemi, Kayode Oduoye, and many others? We are not panicking. They are just exercising their freedom of association. We cannot deny them.