By Maryjane Austine
Adebayo Wins Osun PDP Primary Amid Adeleke’s Absence, Tensions at Venue
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and other prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state were absent on Tuesday as the party held its governorship primary, where Adedamola Adebayo emerged as the PDP candidate for the 2026 Osun governorship election.
Adebayo secured 919 votes out of the 957 accredited delegates at the primary held in Osogbo. Announcing the result, chairman of the primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, said 20 votes were void, adding that Adebayo was the only aspirant left in the race after the governor withdrew.
Shortly after voting ended, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, arrived at the venue with some lawmakers and confronted individuals who were still within the premises. A fracas broke out during which a man believed to be an Independent National Electoral Commission employee was assaulted by a suspected hoodlum.
A video seen by The PUNCH showed Egbedun engaging in a heated exchange with the INEC official before the assault occurred. Another video captured a bus leaving the venue being intercepted by a mob, who attacked the occupants before they were taken to the House of Assembly Police Post in Osogbo.
Speaking to journalists at the station, one of the passengers, Wakili Aderemi, a 68-year-old driver from Ibadan, said they were in Osogbo for a union meeting and had no involvement in the PDP primary. He explained that they were park managers from Oyo State attending a zonal meeting of the NURTW and were mistakenly linked to political activities.
Read More: Adeleke Leaves PDP on Eve of Governorship Primary
But Egbedun accused Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, of interfering in Osun PDP affairs. He said lawmakers received reports that people from Oyo State planned to vote in the primary and insisted the party would not allow external influence.
“This is a message to Governor Seyi Makinde. If he is desperate to become president in 2027, he should not use Osun State as a tool,” he said.
Despite announcing his resignation from the PDP earlier in the day, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot as one of the cleared aspirants. Secretary of the primary committee, Sunday Solarin, explained that although the governor had withdrawn, his name could not be removed at that stage and votes for him would be invalid.
Security was heavy at the venue, with operatives of the Department of State Services, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps manning all access points. Voting began at 11:07am after the arrival of INEC officials and the PDP national committee.
The primary followed days of confusion caused by factional disagreements within the PDP. While Theophilus Shan, a factional National Organising Secretary, insisted the exercise would proceed, another faction led by Umar Bature announced a postponement.
Adeleke had earlier resigned from the PDP in a letter dated December 4, 2025, addressed to his ward chairman in Ede North. He cited the national leadership crisis as the reason for his departure and thanked the party for the platform it provided for his political career. His spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, confirmed the resignation.
Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, said the governor might reconsider if the crisis was resolved before the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission. INEC has fixed December 15 as the final date for submission of party candidates for the August 8, 2026 governorship election.