By Sabiu Abdullahi
Three former members of the Osun State House of Assembly have ended their membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking another development within the party in the state.
The politicians, Lekan Oyediran, Aleem Bakare and Folorunso Oladoyin, submitted separate resignation letters to APC local government chairmen between June 1 and June 2.
Bakare attributed his decision to what he described as a lack of internal democracy within the party. However, Oyediran and Oladoyin did not state any reasons for their departures in their letters.
Oyediran represented Odo Otin State Constituency in the Osun State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2003. Bakare served as the lawmaker for Ejigbo State Constituency between 2003 and 2007.
Oladoyin represented Ife South State Constituency from 2011 to 2019. He later served as Osun State Commissioner for Education during the administration of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola until the government left office in November 2022. Bakare also worked in Oyetola’s administration as Special Adviser on Land Matters.
The three former lawmakers are known associates of former APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who has maintained a distance from party activities since the conclusion of the APC governorship primary in December 2025.
Speaking on the development, spokesperson for the Senator Iyiola Omisore Campaign Organisation, Jamiu Olawumi, acknowledged that the former lawmakers were close to Omisore. He, however, denied suggestions that the former deputy governor directed them to leave the party.
According to Olawumi, the politicians may have made the decision after assessing their political prospects.
He also dismissed speculation that Omisore was preparing to leave the APC.
“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.
“So, 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. So, people who want to be mischievous, and who are taking the animosity that far, they say his men are leaving, that he was going to leave.
“Those who left are Oyetola’s men too. Bamisayemi (Oladoyin) was a Commissioner for education under Oyetola. While Oyetola is losing his cabinet member, Omisore is also losing his supporters. These are the inner members of the caucus of Oyetola now who are leaving the party. It is not about Omisore but about their conviction that the party had not fulfilled their dreams and they cannot realise their dreams and aspirations within the party.”
Responding to the resignations, Osun APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, said the party was not worried by the development. He noted that members have the constitutional right to join or leave any political party.
Olabisi also argued that the APC had attracted several prominent politicians, particularly from the Peoples Democratic Party, in numbers that exceeded those leaving the party.
