Adedamola Emerges PDP Governorship Candidate Following Adeleke’s Exit

Osogbo, Osun State — In a dramatic twist ahead of the 2026 governorship race, Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola has been confirmed as the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Osun State, following the resignation of incumbent Ademola Adeleke from the party.

✉️ Adeleke Resigns From PDP

On Monday, Adeleke officially submitted a resignation letter — dated November 4, 2025 — to the ward leadership of the PDP in Sagba Abogunde (Ward 2, Ede North Local Government Area), citing a deepening national leadership crisis within the party as the reason for his exit.
In his letter, the governor expressed gratitude to the party for providing a platform for his political career — first as Senator for Osun West, and later as Governor.

Despite his resignation, the name of Governor Adeleke still appeared on the ballot for the PDP primary — the ballots had been finalized prior to confirmation of his defection, making it logistically impossible to revise them in time.

🗳️ Primary Held — Adebayo Clinches Ticket

At the primaries held at Adolak Hall in Osogbo, Adebayo secured 919 votes to claim the party’s governorship ticket for Osun State.
With Adeleke’s withdrawal from the party, Adebayo became effectively the only active aspirant — a fact acknowledged by the PDP’s electoral committee.

🔎 What This Means Ahead of the 2026 Race

Adebayo is now officially the PDP’s flagbearer for the 2026 Osun governorship election.

Adeleke’s defection marks a major shake-up in Osun’s political landscape — his next political move remains uncertain as he has not yet disclosed which party he intends to join.

The development comes amid mounting internal crisis within the PDP at the national level — a factor the party itself acknowledged as reason for the upheaval.

📰 Reactions & Uncertainties

Leaders of the Osun PDP confirmed that despite the scheduled primary, the process was complicated by the party’s national leadership crisis and subsequent resignations.
As of now, Adeleke has not publicly committed to any new political platform — a move that leaves political watchers speculating on possible defections or alliances ahead of the 2026 election.