The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says Governor Ademola Adeleke may no longer be interested in contesting for the party’s 2026 governorship ticket unless the internal crisis plaguing the PDP is resolved within the timeframe recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Monday, the Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, said the deepening dispute within the party’s national leadership had made it impossible to hold the governorship primary earlier scheduled for December 2.
Bisi explained that despite the turmoil, Adeleke had fully complied with all requirements of the PDP’s nomination timetable. According to him, the governor purchased and submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms between October 13 and 25, 2025, and appeared before the party’s screening committee on October 30, where he was cleared without any objection.
However, Bisi noted that the situation changed rapidly as tensions within the PDP intensified.
“Soon after these pre-primary processes were concluded, the internal imbroglio rocking the national leadership of our party escalated,” he said.
He pointed out that the suspension and counter-suspension of key national party officials—those responsible for conducting congresses and transmitting the party’s candidate list to INEC—created serious uncertainty. This development disrupted the statutory ad-hoc ward and local government congresses scheduled for November 24 and 29, which would have produced delegates for the primaries.
“These issues are presently before various courts across the country,” he added.
Given these complications, Bisi announced that the governorship primaries could no longer hold as planned.
“In light of the foregoing, it has become inevitable that the PDP governorship primaries earlier slated for December 2, 2025, can no longer hold,” he said.
He further revealed that Adeleke’s interest in the 2026 ticket had waned due to the chaos within the party’s national structure.
“The information at my disposal is that Governor Ademola Adeleke may no longer be interested in seeking the nomination of the PDP for the 2026 Osun governorship election, except a resolution recognised by INEC is reached within the INEC timeline,” Bisi stated.
The crisis rocking the national leadership of the PDP has split the party into factions, complicating preparations for the upcoming election.
INEC’s timetable for the August 8, 2026 Osun governorship poll gives political parties until December 15 to submit their candidates.
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