Photo File: Governor Ademola Adeleke

The Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Osun State Governor, Hezekiah Bamiji, has described the recent defection of two senators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a strategic blunder influenced by misinformation.

Speaking on The Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme aired on Thursday, Bamiji said Senators Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East) and Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central) were misled by widespread rumours suggesting that Governor Ademola Adeleke was planning to join the APC.

“Perhaps it was a form of miscalculation on the part of the lawmakers,” Bamiji remarked. “The rumour might have overwhelmed them, leading them to believe that the governor was defecting. Thinking themselves to be Abuja-based politicians, they may have felt the need to act ahead of the governor.”

Bamiji stressed that Governor Adeleke remains firmly rooted in the PDP and continues to lead the party in Osun State. He criticised the senators for failing to consult with the governor before making such a significant political move.

“The governor is the leader of the PDP in Osun State. I believe they should have sought his counsel and also engaged with their constituents. I doubt such consultations took place,” he said. “Even if there were any truth to the governor’s potential defection, did they ever ask him directly? The APC laid a trap for them, and they walked right into it.”

Bamiji further maintained that Adeleke does not need to switch parties to deliver good governance, emphasising that his commitment to the people of Osun remains unchanged.

Senators Fadahunsi and Fadeyi were among four PDP lawmakers who officially joined the APC on Wednesday, a move that increased the ruling party’s majority in the Senate to 70 seats. The defection reduced the PDP’s representation in the upper chamber to 28 members.

Speculation about Governor Adeleke’s political future had intensified following a June 3 visit to President Bola Tinubu’s Ikoyi residence in Lagos, where he was accompanied by his brother, Adedeji Adeleke, and nephew, music artist Davido.