Osun: PDP snubs governorship candidate, backs Adeleke’s second term

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has moved to dispel uncertainty surrounding Governor Ademola Adeleke’s political future, declaring that the party’s full grassroots and administrative machinery will work for his re-election bid.

This assurance comes despite Adeleke’s recent exit from the PDP to the Accord Party, where he secured the governorship ticket ahead of the August 8, 2026, election, a development that has stirred debate within the state’s political space.

Speaking during an interview in Osogbo, Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, made it clear that while he has not defected alongside the governor, the party’s structure has already resolved to support Adeleke’s second-term ambition.

According to Bisi, his position as PDP chairman remains intact, noting that his tenure runs until 2027.

He, however, stressed that political strategy, rather than party labels, informed the PDP’s decision to align with the incumbent governor’s re-election push.

“The PDP in Osun has taken a collective decision. Our structures, from ward to state level, are solidly behind Governor Adeleke,” Bisi said.

“This is about continuity and performance, not about personal movement from one platform to another.”

Furthermore, the PDP chairman downplayed concerns about the party’s official governorship candidate, Adebayo Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, suggesting that the party’s immediate focus is securing Adeleke’s victory under the Accord Party banner.

When asked whether such a move could attract allegations of anti-party conduct, Bisi dismissed the argument, citing past political alliances in Nigeria where parties openly supported candidates outside their platforms without sanctions.

“There are precedents in Nigerian politics where parties support candidates across party lines,” he said.

“What we are doing is neither strange nor unlawful. Politics evolves, and strategic decisions like this are now part of the system.”

Meanwhile, the political realignment has also drawn reactions from prominent PDP figures in the state.

Former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has publicly distanced himself from Adeleke’s defection, reaffirming his loyalty to the PDP.

Oyinlola made the clarification during the second matriculation ceremony of Alolade Oyinlola College of Health Sciences and Information Technology in Okuku, where about 90 new students were admitted into the institution.

Addressing attendees, the former governor stressed that Adeleke’s political choices would not influence his personal convictions, adding that age and principle would not permit him to abandon the party he has long identified with.

“I remain in the PDP, and nothing has changed that,” Oyinlola said. “My loyalty to the party is not negotiable, and at this stage of my life, I am gradually stepping back from active politics.”

As the 2026 governorship election approaches, Osun’s political landscape continues to shift, with alliances and loyalties being tested, even as major stakeholders position themselves for what promises to be a closely watched contest.