The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has promised to fully back Governor Ademola Adeleke’s bid for re-election in 2026, even though he recently left the party for the Accord Party.
Sunday Bisi, the PDP Chairman in Osun State, told Sunday Punch that Adeleke remains the party’s only governorship candidate for the upcoming election. He described Adeleke’s defection as a “doctrine of necessity.”
Adeleke resigned from the PDP on November 4 and officially joined the Accord Party on December 9, where he became the party’s flagbearer for the 2026 governorship election.
Bisi explained that the move was a strategic decision to protect Adeleke from the internal crisis within the PDP, which could have led to his disqualification.
“We saw that with the ongoing PDP crisis, Adeleke’s nomination might have been disqualified if he stayed. So, we had to be cautious, which is why he is running under the Accord Party,” Bisi said.
Despite Adeleke’s defection, the PDP held its governorship primary on December 2, where Adedamola Adebayo won with 919 out of 957 delegate votes in Osogbo.
However, key PDP leaders, including Bisi and officials loyal to Adeleke, boycotted the primary.
Bisi reaffirmed that the PDP in Osun remains united behind Adeleke, saying his good performance and popularity will ensure his victory in 2026.
“Adeleke will win the 2026 governorship election. The entire PDP structure in Osun will work for him. We have no other candidate, even though he is no longer in the PDP,” he stated.
He also said Adeleke’s defection should not be compared to previous PDP governors who left the party, calling Adeleke’s case unique and justified.
“This defection is a doctrine of necessity; it’s not like how other PDP governors left,” Bisi added.
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