The Digest:
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has made a high-stakes gamble. He has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which he was elected, citing the party's paralysing leadership crisis and its failure to guarantee a legitimate primary, leaving his path to a second term in 2026 shrouded in complex political realignment.
Key Points:
- Governor Ademola Adeleke formally resigned his PDP membership on November 4th, with the announcement made public on December 1st.
- He cited the PDP's "current crisis of the national leadership" as his reason for leaving, a move long anticipated due to the party's internal paralysis.
- The crisis prevented the PDP from conducting mandatory congresses and primaries, creating a "politically fatal" situation for a sitting governor facing INEC's December 15th nomination deadline.
- His exit effectively resets Osun's political landscape, severely weakening the PDP and forcing the creation of new coalitions.
- Behind the scenes, Adeleke had explored defecting to the APC, backed by figures close to President Bola Tinubu, but was rebuffed by party leaders in Osun, including former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, who refused to offer an automatic ticket.
- The African Democratic Congress (ADC), influenced by former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, also appears to be a closed door.
- The Accord Party has now emerged as the most likely new platform, with its leadership publicly wooing the governor, who has until mid-December to announce his new political home.
- Despite his exit, a PDP faction proceeded with a primary on December 2nd, declaring Adedamola Adebayo its candidate with 919 votes.
Sources: Premium Times, Vanguard
