Osun 2026: Adebayo Damola becomes PDP governorship candidate after Gov. Adeleke’s exit

News Update

Adebayo Adedamola on Tuesday clinched the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket for the 2026 Osun election, securing an overwhelming victory at the party’s primary held in Osogbo, the state capital.

Adedamola scored 919 votes out of the 957 ballots cast, following the withdrawal of the second aspirant, Governor Ademola Adeleke, whose name nonetheless appeared on the ballot.

Announcing the outcome, chairman of the primary committee, Humphrey Abba, declared, “Void votes 20. We told you earlier that one of the aspirants withdrew.

“The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and stands elected and returned.”

It was earlier reported that despite formally resigning from the PDP, Adeleke’s name remained on the ballot used for the primary.

Before voting commenced, the committee’s secretary, Sunday Solarin, addressed delegates shortly after accreditation ended at 11:35 a.m. Solarin explained that although Adeleke and Adedamola were listed as aspirants, the sitting governor had resigned his membership of the party.

He warned that ballots cast for Adeleke would “eventually amount to waste,” urging delegates to comply with the committee’s guidelines.

Agents of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alongside a committee led by Abba from the PDP national headquarters, supervised the exercise. Security around the venue was tight, with operatives of the DSS, police and NSCDC stationed at strategic points.

Proceedings began formally at 11:07 a.m., as delegates verified their names before filing in to vote.

Voice Air Media reported that Adeleke had earlier tendered his resignation from the PDP. His letter, dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to Sagba Abogunde, chairman of Ward 2, Ede North.

The letter partly read, “Due to the current crisis within the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my membership of the PDP with immediate effect.

“I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the People’s Democratic Party.”

The governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, confirmed the resignation.

In a recent update, Osun PDP Chairman Sunday Bisi noted that Adeleke might have lost interest in seeking the party’s ticket for 2026 unless the internal leadership crisis was resolved in line with INEC’s requirements.

He explained that the turbulence in the party had made it impossible to hold the primary on the earlier scheduled date of December 2.

INEC’s timetable for the August 8, 2026 Osun governorship election requires political parties to submit the names of their candidates by December 15.