Osun Guber: Intrigues As APM, PDP Step Down For Adeleke

Intrigues continue to unfold ahead of the Osun State governorship election on Saturday after two candidates – Adedamola Adebayo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Adebayo Adewale of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) – withdrew from the race and endorsed the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, just hours to the poll.

Adebayo, the PDP candidate, announced his withdrawal during a press briefing in Osogbo declaring, “I, Honourable Adedamola Adebayo, known as Fryo, hereby endorse His Excellency, Senator Ademola Adeleke ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.”

He urged PDP members, supporters and the party’s structure to back the governor.

“I encourage all PDP members, supporters and structure to share this position peacefully. Support the emergence of Ademola Adeleke as the governor till 2030,” he added.

His withdrawal came hours after the PDP, in a statement sent to THE WHISTLER on Thursday, said it would not contest the election, despite the Court of Appeal in Abuja upholding Adebayo’s nomination as the party’s authentic candidate and directing INEC to include the party’s logo on the ballot.

The party’s Interim National Working Committee, in the statement signed by National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said the court victory came too late to be of use.

“Though justice has finally been done, in this case the grant of justice is akin to a denial as there is no opportunity for our candidate to undertake campaigns in preparation for the elections,” the statement read.

The PDP accused INEC of bias in favour of the ruling party, stating that the commission “blatantly refused to recognise our candidate” after monitoring peaceful and uncontested primaries, and further alleged that INEC “is not a neutral umpire, but more of an interested party” working to secure weak opposition contests for the APC.

Rather than field a candidate under the circumstances, the party said it resolved to support Adeleke, a former PDP member who left the party over what it described as a “state-engineered and funded leadership conflict”.

“We therefore ask all our members to vote for Governor Adeleke. We encourage them to go out on Saturday to vote, defend their votes and ensure that their votes count in the election,” the statement said, warning against what it called the APC’s “shameful do or die disposition” to win elections in states where it lacked popularity.

In a similar development, Adewale of the APM announced his withdrawal at a separate press conference, saying the decision followed “deep reflection and extensive consultation” with party leaders, supporters and other stakeholders.

“I, Adebayo Simon Adewale, the governorship candidate of Allied Peoples Movement in Osun governorship election 2026, after deep reflection and extensive consultation with party leaders, supporters, and stakeholders, I have decided to withdraw from the Osun State governorship election.”

He insisted the decision was “not born out of pressure or personal interest” but a conscious choice to place the interest of Osun above personal ambition.

Adewale said he had assessed the political situation in the state and concluded that Adeleke deserved another term to consolidate the achievements of his administration, declaring his full support for the governor’s re-election and calling on his supporters and APM members to do the same.

He explained that his decision was rooted in the belief that Adeleke’s re-election would promote peace, stability and development in the state, describing the choice as one made in the collective interest of Osun.

The twin withdrawals leave Adeleke, who is running on the Accord party platform, facing Bola Oyebamiji of the APC and Najeem Salaam of the ADC, among other candidates, as the state heads to the polls on Saturday.