Fresh confusion has engulfed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State as the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and the state chapter issued conflicting directives regarding the governorship primary scheduled for Tuesday, December 2.
Although Governor Ademola Adeleke is the only aspirant cleared for the primary, developments on Monday indicated he may no longer be interested in pursuing the party’s ticket ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
The crisis deepened when the Tanimu Turaki-led NWC insisted that the primary would proceed as planned.
In a statement issued by the National Organising Secretary of the Turaki faction, Hon. Theophilus Dakas Shan, the national leadership urged members to turn out for the primary at Atlantis Multipurpose Hall, Ring Road, Osogbo, beginning at 10 am.
The statement noted that the party had already notified INEC of its primary schedule on October 28 and successfully conducted congresses to elect ad hoc and national delegates on November 24 and 29, 2025.
However, in direct contradiction, the Osun PDP chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, announced that the primaries had been postponed due to the unresolved leadership crisis at the national level.
Bisi warned that the deepening internal conflict, marked by suspensions of key NWC members and multiple court cases, had hindered the conduct of the crucial ward and local government congresses that should have produced delegates for the primary.
According to him:
“Due to unresolved disputes within the national leadership, information available suggests that Governor Adeleke may withdraw from seeking the PDP nomination unless a resolution recognised by INEC is reached within the appropriate electoral timeframe.”
He added that the worsening national leadership tussle made it “inevitable” that the primary could not go ahead as scheduled.
Despite the turmoil, Bisi stressed that Governor Adeleke had followed all required procedures.
He purchased and submitted nomination forms between October 13 and 25, appeared before the Screening Committee on October 30, and received a Certificate of Clearance before the dispute escalated.
Adeleke remains the only aspirant who completed all official steps.
The confusion comes amid growing speculation that the governor may have already concluded plans to defect to another political platform to actualise his second-term bid, with sources linking him to several parties, including the Accord Party.
The PDP is presently split between two national factions, one led by Tanimu Turaki, and another by Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman, an ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, a division now threatening the stability of the Osun governorship race.
