The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has said Governor Ademola Adeleke may no longer be interested in seeking the party’s nomination for the 2026 governorship election amid escalating national leadership crises.

Speaking at a press briefing in Osogbo on Monday, the state chairman of the party, Mr. Sunday Bisi, said the turmoil within the PDP’s national hierarchy had derailed key pre-election processes, rendering the governorship primary initially scheduled for December 2 impossible to conduct.

Bisi confirmed that Governor Adeleke had fulfilled all mandatory requirements for the nomination exercise before the internal crisis worsened. According to him, the governor purchased and submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms between October 13 and 25, 2025, and appeared before the screening committee on October 30, where he was cleared without reservations.

“However, soon after these pre-primary processes were concluded, the internal imbroglio rocking the national leadership of our party escalated,” Bisi said.
He explained that the suspension and counter-suspension of key national officers who are statutorily central to conducting congresses, primaries, and transmitting candidates’ names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) created “a level of uncertainty that directly impacted the planned schedule.”

The crisis, he added, prevented the statutory ward and local government congresses slated for November 24 and 29 from holding. Those congresses are critical for electing delegates who participate in the governorship primary.

“As you are all aware, the issues leading to these disruptions are presently before various courts across the country,” the chairman noted.

Bisi declared that, given the prevailing circumstances, holding the December 2 primary had become “inevitable, indeed unavoidable,” to postpone.
He further disclosed that the governor’s interest in continuing with the process had waned due to the prolonged uncertainty.

“Because of the internal crisis rocking the national leadership of our party, the information at my disposal is that Governor Ademola Adeleke may no 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,” he said.

The prolonged crisis has split the PDP into factions at the national level, deepening concerns about the party’s preparedness ahead of the Osun poll.

According to INEC’s timetable for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State, political parties have until December 15 to submit their candidates’ names leaving the PDP a narrow window to resolve its dispute or risk entering the race weakened.