James Adamu
After months of speculation over his political future, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has formally resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), blaming the party’s persistent and paralyzing leadership crisis at the national level for his decision.
The governor’s exit, confirmed in a late Monday night statement on his Instagram page, came on the heels of a day of extraordinary public confusion within the Osun PDP, which saw the party’s state and national chapters issue directly contradictory directives over its governorship primary.
Earlier on Monday, the Osun State PDP Chairman, Honourable Sunday Bisi, announced the indefinite postponement of the primary election slated for Tuesday, December 2. Bisi cited the failure to hold statutory delegate congresses and “problems at the PDP’s national headquarters.”
“It has become inevitable, indeed unavoidable, that the PDP governorship primaries earlier slated for Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025, can no longer hold as scheduled,” Bisi told journalists during a press briefing.
He explained that “The statutory ad-hoc ward and local government congresses, scheduled for November 24th and 29th respectively, could not hold.”
Most significantly, Bisi revealed the dwindling loyalty of the party’s sole aspirant and sitting governor, stating: “The information at my disposal is that Governor Ademola Adeleke may not, any longer be interested in seeking the nomination of the PDP for the 2026 Osun Gubernatorial Election, except a resolution recognised by INEC is reached within the INEC timeline.”
However, PDP’s factional national office in Abuja countermanded the state chapter just hours later. The National Organising Secretary, Honourable Theophilus Dakas Shan, issued a notice insisting the primary would proceed.
“Sequel to the earlier notice and the successful completion of congresses to elect ad-hoc delegates and National delegates in Osun State, the Party hereby reminds strategic stakeholders and the general public that the primaries to elect the gubernatorial candidate will hold as follows: Date: 2nd December, 2025. Venue: Atlantis Multipurpose Hall, Ring road, Osogbo, Osun State. Time: 10am,” Shan’s notice read, adding a warning for candidates to behave “in accordance with the provisions of our party’s constitution.”
It was against this backdrop of operational disarray and conflicting authority that Governor Adeleke made his decisive move. In his statement, he confirmed he had already submitted his resignation to party officials in Sagba Abogunde, Ward 2, Ede North Local Government, on November 4, 2025—weeks before the public implosion.
“Due to the ongoing crisis within the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (#OfficialPDPNig) at the national level, I officially conveyed my resignation letter as a member to the party leadership in Sagba Abogunde, Ward 2, Ede North Local Government on November 4, 2025,” Adeleke wrote.
“I thank the party and its many members and supporters for the opportunities they have provided me, first as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and now as Governor of Osun State.”
The governor’s resignation, following the party’s inability to conduct a basic primary and the public airing of its contradictory commands, represents more than a personal defection.
The party is now left to manage a vacant primary for a ticket its only contender, the sitting governor, has just publicly abandoned.
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