Osun State was thrown into political fever on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, after the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, announced that Governor Ademola Adeleke will formally join a new political party before December 13, barely days after confirming his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Adeleke, in a letter dated November 4 and addressed to PDP executives in Sagba Abogunde, Ward 2, Ede North Local Government, said he was leaving the party due to the “current crisis within the national leadership” of the PDP.
The letter surfaced publicly on Tuesday and was confirmed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed.
Speaking on a Rave FM political programme in Osogbo, Alimi said the governor’s exit was triggered by prolonged internal wrangling in the PDP, made worse by the party’s national-level division ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
“The governor of Osun State and the Asiwaju of Ede has formally resigned his membership from the Peoples Democratic Party. It was long overdue… Had it not been for the crisis or division at the national level, the governor wouldn’t have defected”, he said.
He explained that with INEC’s nomination window closing on December 15, Adeleke had to “face reality” to secure his political future.
According to him, discussions on the governor’s next platform are ongoing, with clarity expected “on or before December 12 or 13.”
The information commissioner dismissed reports that the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomed the development.
He said, “They’re pretending. They thought he would be stupid enough to remain in the PDP so they could use the national crisis to challenge him. But Adeleke is ahead of them.”
He also accused unnamed actors within the PDP of sabotaging the party on behalf of rival political interests.
In a dramatic twist, the PDP proceeded with its governorship primary in Osogbo, where Adebayo Adedamola emerged as the party’s candidate for the August 8, 2026 election.
Adedamola polled 919 of the 957 accredited votes. The chairman of the primary committee, Humphrey Abba, announced 20 void ballots and confirmed Adedamola as duly elected.
Despite announcing his resignation, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot as one of two aspirants.
The committee’s secretary, Sunday Solarin, informed delegates that votes cast for Adeleke would be “wasted,” as he had already withdrawn from the PDP.
The primary was conducted under tight security, with operatives of the DSS, police and NSCDC stationed around the venue.
Earlier, the Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, told journalists that the protracted leadership crisis at the national level made it impossible to conduct the primary as scheduled on December 2.
Party leaders said Adeleke could still return for the 2026 ticket if the internal conflicts are resolved and recognised by INEC before the December 15 deadline.
With just days left before political parties submit their candidates to INEC, speculation is rife about the governor’s next political home.
Alimi insisted that Adeleke’s resignation was “avoidable,” but said the governor will publicly announce his new platform “within days.”
For now, Osun’s political landscape remains charged as residents, party loyalists, and opposition figures await the governor’s next move, one that may redefine the state’s 2026 governorship race.
