Osun Gov. Adeleke Quits PDP on Eve of Party Primary Amid Deepening Crisis

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a dramatic move coming less than 24 hours before the party’s scheduled governorship primary.

This decision intensifies the ongoing crisis within the state’s chapter of the party.

In a resignation letter dated November 4 and addressed to his ward chairman in Ede, Governor Adeleke attributed his sudden exit to the unresolved leadership crisis at the PDP’s national level.

The announcement followed a day of confusion over the status of the primary election. Earlier on Monday, the Osun State PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, declared the exercise suspended due to factional disputes and revealed that Adeleke had withdrawn from the nomination contest.

However, a conflicting communication from the PDP’s national secretariat later insisted the primary would proceed as planned, highlighting the rift between state and national party organs.

Adeleke expressed gratitude to the PDP for the platform that enabled his elections as both a senator and governor but did not disclose his future political plans.

His departure is anticipated to cause significant political realignments within Osun State.

The PDP has been struggling with internal divisions nationwide since the 2023 presidential election, with several state chapters embroiled in factional conflicts. Adeleke’s exit follows a trend of high-profile defections from the party in Nigeria’s South-West region.

As of now, the national secretariat has not officially acknowledged the governor’s resignation or confirmed any change to the primary election schedule, while state officials maintain that the event cannot proceed under the current fractured conditions.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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