|By Chinwendu Nwani
Delegates and officials of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State defied escalating party turmoil on Tuesday, converging in Osogbo to push ahead with the governorship primary.
The exercise began just hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke quit the party, and a day after the state chairman, Sunday Bisi, announced a postponement, citing leadership battles rocking the PDP at the national level.
Despite the uncertainty, hundreds of party members streamed into the Adolak Events Centre, Osogbo, where the primary kicked off under heavy security. A group within the PDP’s national leadership had insisted on proceeding, arguing that Adeleke’s resignation did not alter the timetable—though the governor was reportedly the sole aspirant who purchased the nomination form.
Bisi had earlier told journalists that the suspension and counter-suspension of key national officers overseeing primaries and candidate submissions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had thrown the process into confusion. He warned that the ongoing crisis could discourage Adeleke from seeking the PDP ticket for the 2026 governorship race unless INEC-approved resolutions emerged quickly.
By Monday night, a letter dated November 4, 2025—signed by Adeleke—circulated online, confirming his resignation and blaming the party’s leadership crisis.
Still, the PDP national secretariat held its ground. In a letter dated December 1, 2025, National Organising Secretary Theophilus Shan reaffirmed the decision to conduct the primary.
The letter emphasized that earlier congresses to elect ad-hoc and national delegates had been “successfully completed,” and reminded stakeholders that the primary would hold on December 2 at the Atlantis Multipurpose Hall, Osogbo. It also confirmed that the Electoral Committee had been properly constituted to supervise the process.
The statement further warned aspirants to adhere strictly to party rules, adding that any act of indiscipline would attract severe sanctions.
As of press time, officials and members of the Osun PDP continued with the exercise, expected to produce the party’s candidate for the 2026 governorship election.
