There are strong indications that Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, is seriously considering leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify.
Sources close to the former deputy governor disclosed that high-level consultations regarding his potential defection have reached an advanced stage.The development follows reports of Arapaja’s recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja. On Tuesday, he also hosted a separate meeting at his Abuja residence with key APC figures from Oyo State.
Among those present were the APC’s 2027 governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli; his running mate, Adesoji Adedeji; former Oyo South senatorial candidate, Aderemi Oseni; as well as some of Arapaja’s longtime political associates and other stakeholders.
According to insiders, the meeting focused on Arapaja’s proposed entry into the APC and possible political realignments in Oyo State ahead of the next election cycle.
Although Arapaja is yet to make any public statement confirming his intention to leave the PDP, the ongoing consultations have sparked intense speculation about a major shift in the state’s political landscape.
Arapaja has been a key ally of Governor Seyi Makinde since 2019. He previously served as the PDP’s National Vice Chairman (South-West) and later as Deputy National Chairman (South). He currently holds the position of National Secretary of the PDP faction aligned with Governor Makinde.
A native of Idi-Arere in Ibadan, Arapaja’s political journey began with the return of democracy in 1999. He served as Chairman of Ibadan South-East Local Government (1999–2002), represented the Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives (2003–2007), and was Deputy Governor of Oyo State under the late Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala from 2007 to 2011.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Arapaja nor the Oyo State chapters of the PDP and APC had issued an official statement on the reported defection.
