Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). citing the crisis within the party’s national leadership as the reason for his decision.
The development was announced on Monday in a statement issued by his spokesperson Olawale Rasheed.
According to Mr Olawale, the resignation took effect on November 4 and was conveyed in a letter to the PDP chairman of Ward 2, Sagba Abogunde, in Ede North Local Government Area.
In the resignation letter, which he personally signed, Adeleke said: “Due to the current crisis within the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my membership of the PDP with immediate effect.”
He thanked the party for supporting his political journey. “I thank the Peoples Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State,” he wrote.
The statement did not say what his next move would be.
Earlier on Monday, Osun PDP chairman Sunday Bisi told journalists in Osogbo that the party could no longer hold its governorship primary scheduled for December 2 because of the crises affecting its national structure.
Mr Bisi said Adeleke had fulfilled all requirements for the primary, including the purchase and submission of nomination forms between October 13 and 25 and appearing before the screening committee on October 30. He said the governor was cleared and issued a certificate as required.
He explained that the crisis at the national level, including suspensions of key officers responsible for congresses and primaries, disrupted the process. He said the ward and local government congresses, earlier fixed for November 24 and 29, could not hold, and several issues were before the courts.
According to him, “it has become inevitable” that the December 2 primary cannot hold. He added that Adeleke “may no longer be interested in seeking the nomination of the PDP for the 2026 Osun gubernatorial election” unless the party resolves its internal crisis within the timeline recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC has set December 15 as the deadline for political parties to submit the names of their candidates for the August 8, 2026 Osun governorship election.
