Three chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, who had at different times been lawmakers in Osun State House of Assembly, have resigned their membership of the party.

The lawmakers, Lekan Oyediran, Aleem Bakare and Folorunso Oladoyin, resigned their APC membership through letters addressed to the local government chairmen of the party.

The three resignations occured between June 1 and 2, and beside Bakare that cited lack of internal democracy for dumping APC, the other two chieftains did not state reasons for their action in the letters.

Checks by The PUNCH indicated that Oyediran represented Odo Otin State Constituency in the Osun State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003, while Aleem Bakare was in the parliament representing Ejigbo State Constituency between 2003 and 2007.

Folorunso Oladoyin, representing Ife South State Constituency in the Assembly between 2011 and 2019, went on to serve as the State Commissioner for Education in the administration of ex governor Adegboyega Oyetola til the government exited office on November 26, 2022.

Bakare also served in the Oyetola administration as the Special Adviser to the governor on Land Matters.

All the three ex lawmakers were however linked to the ex National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who had kept his distance from the party since the conclusion of the governorship primary of APC in December, 2025.

But while speaking with The PUNCH on Wednesday on the development, the spokesperson of the Senator Iyiola Omisore Campaign Organisation, Jamiu Olawumi, admitted that the three former lawmakers the dumped APC were close allies of Omisore.

Olawumi, however, said the ex-Osun State Deputy Governor never instructed them to dump APC, adding that they must have arrived at the decision to move on, after considering their future in politics.

He also dismissed insinuations that Omisore may soon dump APC, saying “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.”

Reacting, Osun APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, said the party was not in panic mode, noting that those that left simply exercise their freedom of association.

Olabisi also said Osun APC had recieved bigwigs from especially the Peoples Democratic Party than the number of those that decided to walk away from its fold, urging members to remain focus and work harder for its success in the future elections.

He further said, “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. If people are making a fuss over those three people, can you equate them with two senators – Fadahunsi and Ajagunla and three representative members who came to our party together with the member of the trustee of the PDP – Shuaib Oyedokun?

“How about Prince Dotun Babayemi, Kayode Oduoye and a host of others? We are not panicking in any way. They are only exercising their freedom of association. We cannot deny them.” (The PUNCH)

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