The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Sunday Bisi, has declared that the party will deploy its full structure to support Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election bid in 2026, despite his recent defection to the Accord Party.
Bisi, who spoke with Sunday Punch, said the PDP has no governorship candidate in the coming election other than Adeleke, describing his departure from the party as a “doctrine of necessity.”
Adeleke, who resigned from the PDP on November 4, officially joined the Accord Party on December 9 and subsequently emerged as its flagbearer for the 2026 governorship election.
Explaining the circumstances behind the move, Bisi said the decision was strategic, intended to shield the governor from the party’s internal crisis, which he claimed could have led to his disqualification.
“We foresaw that, with the way the PDP crisis was unfolding, there was a possibility that Adeleke’s nomination might be disqualified if he stayed in the PDP. So, we needed to play safe on the matter, and that is why the governor is contesting under the Accord Party,” Bisi stated.
Despite Adeleke’s defection, the PDP went ahead with its scheduled governorship primary on December 2, where Adedamola Adebayo emerged as the candidate, polling 919 out of 957 accredited delegate votes in Osogbo.
However, all key PDP leaders, including Sunday Bisi and elected or appointed office holders aligned with Adeleke, boycotted the exercise.
Bisi reiterated that the state PDP remains united behind Adeleke, stressing that his performance in office and widespread popularity would guarantee victory in 2026.
“Adeleke is going to win the 2026 governorship election. The entire PDP structure in Osun will work for his victory. We do not have any other candidate than him, though he is no longer in the PDP,” he affirmed.
The PDP chairman dismissed comparisons with other defections by PDP governors in the past, saying Adeleke’s case was different and justified.
“The governor’s defection is a doctrine of necessity; you cannot compare it to how other PDP governors left the party,” he said.