Osun 2026: Adeleke no longer interested in PDP ticket, says party chair

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Sunday Bisi, has cast doubt on Governor Ademola Adeleke’s interest in seeking the party’s ticket for the 2026 governorship election, saying the ongoing national leadership crisis has crippled preparations and thrown the process into uncertainty.

Speaking at a news conference in Osogbo on Monday, Bisi said the turmoil at the national level had stalled key activities ahead of the primaries originally slated for 2 December. His comments come days after Daily Trust reported that Adeleke may be considering a move to the Accord Party. Credible party sources insist the governor, currently in the United States, is expected to formally declare his defection upon his return this week.

Former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, widely regarded as Adeleke’s political mentor, also hinted at the likelihood of a switch to Accord during a radio programme on Rave FM in Osogbo.

Bisi told journalists that Adeleke had completed all procedural requirements within the PDP’s official timetable, including the purchase and submission of expression of interest and nomination forms between 13 and 25 October. The governor appeared before the screening committee on 30 October, was cleared without reservation, and issued a certificate of clearance.

However, the state chairman said subsequent leadership disputes at the national level, including the suspension and counter-suspension of key officers, had disrupted statutory processes. Ward and local government congresses scheduled for 24 and 29 November were aborted due to litigation arising from the crisis, leaving the party unable to elect delegates.

“The primaries will no longer hold as planned (today) because the party cannot elect delegates,” Bisi said. “Governor Adeleke was the only aspirant who bought and submitted forms and was screened, but his interest in contesting under the PDP is now uncertain. He may not continue unless the national crisis is resolved and the outcome is recognised by INEC within the required timeline.”

While acknowledging that the conduct of primaries is the responsibility of the national secretariat, Bisi said the state chapter considered it necessary to brief party members and Osun residents.

But in a statement issued yesterday, Hon. Theophilus Dakas Shan, National Organising Secretary of the Tanimu Turaki faction, insisted that the primaries would proceed today as scheduled. He said congresses to elect ad hoc and national delegates had been “successfully completed” on 24 and 29 November and confirmed the December 2 primary at Atlantis Multipurpose Hall in Osogbo.

Shan said the electoral committee had been constituted and warned aspirants to conduct themselves in line with party rules, saying any act of indiscipline would attract severe sanctions.

Omisore to Adeleke: Governance requires focus, not dance

In a related development, Senator Iyiola Omisore, former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a 2026 Osun governorship aspirant, criticised Governor Adeleke, describing him as a “dancing governor” who treats governance as entertainment rather than serious statecraft.

Speaking to journalists after submitting his expression of interest and nomination forms at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, Omisore said Osun required a leader grounded in governance, responsibility, and sacrifice.

“My state is being headed by a dancing governor, and you know what that means. Any governor that is busy dancing cannot appreciate the weight of leadership,” he said. “The posture of a leader who dances in Government House tells you everything about their seriousness and substance. There is no one who keeps dancing without drums or songs. It reflects richness of the mind or emptiness of the brain.”

Omisore, one of nine APC aspirants, expressed confidence in the party’s transparent process and vowed to defeat the PDP in 2026, pledging a people-centred, focused government if elected.

Meanwhile, former deputy governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, along with other aspirants including Kunle Rasheed Adegoke (SAN) and Mulikat Abiola, also submitted forms, promising inclusive governance if elected.

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