The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has suggested that Governor Ademola Adeleke might be reconsidering his intention to be the party’s nominee for the 2026 gubernatorial contest.
However, the party indicated that Adeleke’s potential change of heart could be reversed if the ongoing internal disputes plaguing the PDP are resolved in a manner recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and if this resolution occurs within INEC’s established timeframe for the Osun governorship election.
Speaking to reporters in Osogbo, the state capital, on Monday, the Osun PDP Chairman, Mr. Sunday Bisi, stated that the current turmoil within the party has made it impossible to conduct the governorship primary election, initially planned for December 2nd.
Bisi confirmed that Adeleke had fully met all the requirements outlined in the PDP’s schedule for nominations. He emphasized that Adeleke “obtained and filed the required expression of interest and nomination documents within the set period of October 13th to 25th, 2025, which was the deadline.”
He further clarified that Adeleke appeared before the officially appointed screening committee of the party on October 30th, underwent the screening process, and was approved without any issues. He was then issued a Certificate of Clearance, as per the party’s established procedures.
“However, not long after these preliminary steps were finished, the internal problems impacting the national leadership of our party became more serious.”
“The temporary removal and reciprocal temporary removal of key national officials – officials who are legally crucial to managing internal elections, primary contests, and the forwarding of our candidate’s name to INEC – created a degree of instability that directly affected the planned timetable.
“This situation got to the point where the legally required ad-hoc internal elections at the ward and local government levels, which were scheduled for November 24th and 29th, respectively, could not take place.”
“These internal elections are how delegates to the primary contests are actually selected. As you all know, the matters causing these interruptions are currently being dealt with in numerous courts across the country,” Bisi explained.
He then declared, “Given the circumstances, it has become unavoidable that the PDP governorship primary contests, which were previously set for Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025, cannot proceed as planned.
“However, due to the internal crisis affecting the national leadership of our party, the information available to me suggests that Governor Ademola Adeleke may now be having second thoughts about seeking the PDP nomination for the 2026 Osun Gubernatorial Election, unless a resolution accepted by INEC is reached within the electoral body’s deadlines.”
The PUNCH reports that the disagreements rocking the PDP at the national level have created divisions and competing groups within the party. According to INEC’s schedule for the August 8th Osun governorship election, political parties fielding candidates have until December 15th to submit their candidates’ names.
