In a dramatic political move, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has resigned his membership from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His resignation came less than 24 hours before the party's scheduled governorship primary election, throwing the state chapter into deeper turmoil.
A Sudden Exit Amidst Deepening Crisis
The governor's resignation letter, dated 4 November and addressed to the PDP chairman of Sagba Ward 2 in Ede, became public knowledge on Monday evening. In the letter, Adeleke pointed to the unresolved crisis within the PDP's national leadership as the primary reason for his sudden departure.
The letter, titled "Resignation of my membership of the People's Democratic Party (PDP)," stated clearly: "Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my Membership of the People's Democratic Party with immediate effect."
Confusion and Contradiction Over Primary Election
This development followed a day of conflicting signals from the party's hierarchy regarding the status of the primary election. Earlier on Monday, the Osun State PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, announced the suspension of the exercise. He cited persistent factional disputes as the cause and revealed that Governor Adeleke was no longer in the race for the party's nomination, linking the withdrawal directly to the worsening internal conflict.
However, in a stark contradiction, a separate communication allegedly originating from the PDP national secretariat insisted that the primary would proceed as planned. It was scheduled to hold at the Atlantic Multipurpose Hall in Osogbo on Tuesday. This public disagreement further exposed the deep divisions between the state and national organs of the party.
Implications and Political Realignments
In his resignation notice, Adeleke expressed gratitude to the PDP for the platform it provided for his political ascent. "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," he wrote.
He did not, however, give any indication of his next political move. Analysts predict his exit will trigger significant realignments across Osun's political landscape. His departure adds to a growing list of high-profile defections from the PDP in the South-West region, following the path of figures like former Ekiti governorship aspirant Segun Oni in 2024.
The PDP has been struggling with internal crises nationally since its defeat in the 2023 presidential election. Several state chapters, including Rivers, Edo, and Lagos, have faced parallel congresses and factional battles over control, with the National Working Committee's intervention efforts appearing to have failed in Osun.
The immediate fate of Tuesday's primary remains uncertain. While the national secretariat has not formally acknowledged the governor's resignation or altered the schedule, state-level officials maintain that holding the primary under the current "untenable conditions" is impossible.
