News Update
Three former members of the Osun State House of Assembly have resigned their membership of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The former lawmakers, Lekan Oyediran, Aleem Bakare and Folorunso Oladoyin, submitted separate resignation letters addressed to the APC chairmen in their respective local government areas.
The resignations occurred between June 1 and June 2, according to letters obtained by Newsmen.
While Bakare cited the absence of internal democracy within the party as the reason for his departure, Oyediran and Oladoyin did not disclose any reasons for resigning from the APC.
Oyediran represented Odo-Otin State Constituency in the Osun State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003, while Bakare served as the representative of Ejigbo State Constituency from 2003 to 2007.
Oladoyin represented Ife South State Constituency between 2011 and 2019 before serving as Commissioner for Education under the administration of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola until the end of the government’s tenure in November 2022.
Bakare also served in the Oyetola administration as Special Adviser on Land Matters.
The three former lawmakers have been linked politically to former APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who has maintained a low profile within the party since the APC governorship primary election held in December 2025.
Speaking on the development on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Senator Iyiola Omisore Campaign Organisation, Jamiu Olawumi, acknowledged that the former lawmakers were close political associates of Omisore.
Olawumi, however, denied claims that Omisore directed them to leave the APC, saying “their decisions were personal and based on their individual political calculations.”
He said, “The anxiety is unfounded and baseless. We support Iyiola Omisore for his governorship ambition. Anyway, we went for him, we saw his capacity and capability, that is why we went to invite him to come and contest.”
He added, “If the outcome of the contest amounts to our strongest defence line being removed, people who cannot withstand the shock could leave the party, and could also leave his camp to join the winning camp. That does not mean Omisore is leaving the party, because Omisore was not our breadwinner. We are political associates.”
Olawumi argued that the departures should not be interpreted as a sign that Omisore was planning to leave the APC, stressing that those who resigned included individuals who had also served in the administration of former Governor Oyetola.
Reacting to the resignations, Osun APC spokesperson Kola Olabisi said the party was not worried by the development and described the action of the former lawmakers as an exercise of their constitutional right to freedom of association.
“In a democracy, there is a free exit and free entry into politics, and one can exercise one’s fundamental freedom of association at any time. You can’t begrudge anybody,” Olabisi said.
He maintained that the APC in Osun had recently attracted several notable politicians from other parties and urged members to remain focused on strengthening the party ahead of future elections.