Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, is expected to formally defect to the Accord Party (A) next week as the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepens.
Amid the confusion triggered by Adeleke’s last-minute withdrawal from the race, Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola on Tuesday clinched the PDP governorship ticket ahead of the 2026 Osun election.
Of the 990 delegates expected for the primary, 957 were accredited for the exercise, which held under tight security at the Adolak Event Centre in Osogbo.
Chairman of the PDP Primary Committee, Humphery Abba, disclosed before voting began that two aspirants had initially filed nominations, Governor Adeleke and Adedamola.
However, he told delegates that Adeleke pulled out of the contest just hours before the primary, leaving only one aspirant in the race.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the process.
Announcing the result, Abba said a total of 20 void ballots were recorded, while Adedamola received 919 valid votes, declaring him “elected and returned” as the PDP candidate.
The dramatic development follows weeks of political tension and signs of a major realignment in Osun’s governing party as Adeleke looks to secure a new platform for his reelection bid.
