Ademola Adeleke ‘a Victim of Circumstance’, Says PDP as Party Reflects on Internal Crisis

The Peoples Democratic Party has described Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke as “a victim of circumstance,” attributing his recent exit from the party to long-standing internal disputes that were left unresolved. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, admitted that the circumstances leading to Adeleke’s defection were avoidable and stemmed from problems the party failed to address in time.

PDP Admits Leadership Failures and Long-Ignored Party Cracks

Ememobong stated that Ademola Adeleke’s defection reflected broader issues within the PDP, emphasising that every political conflict is “human-caused” and should therefore have a “human solution.” He noted that decisive leadership intervention could have prevented the tensions that ultimately pushed the Osun governor out of the party.

According to him, the party’s internal challenges were self-inflicted, made worse by the leadership’s tendency to allow crises to linger. He warned that unresolved conflicts often grow into larger problems, saying, “Immediately we begin to feed the monster without knowing, we will end up in the belly of the monster.”

The PDP spokesman also disclosed that signs of internal cracks had been visible since 2023, but instead of adopting strong corrective measures, the leadership resorted to negotiations, hoping that tensions would ease over time. Unfortunately, he said, such expectations did not materialise.

Convention Fallout and Events Leading to Ademola Adeleke’s Departure

Tracing the roots of the party’s breakdown, Ememobong referenced the controversial PDP convention held in Ibadan, which resulted in the expulsion of key members, the emergence of new national officers, and escalating internal hostilities. He said Adeleke’s exit was tied to circumstances created by these developments, including “vicarious liabilities which he cannot completely extricate himself from.”

Ademola Adeleke who rose to prominence as a senator and later as governor under the PDP, formally resigned from the party in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and made public on December 2 via his official X handle. He cited a crisis in the party’s national leadership as the reason for his departure.

His resignation was followed by confirmation from his spokesman, Olawale Rasheed, that the governor had joined the Accord Party. Records showed that Adeleke registered with the party on November 6—several weeks before announcing his resignation publicly.

Ademola Adeleke Joins Accord Party, Emerges Governorship Candidate

Adeleke stated that his decision was reached after extensive consultation with political stakeholders and community leaders. He explained that the Accord Party’s philosophy of welfarism aligns with his personal commitment to workers’ and citizens’ welfare.

On Wednesday, he emerged as the Accord Party’s candidate for the August 8, 2026, Osun governorship election. As the sole aspirant in the primary conducted in Osogbo, Adeleke secured 145 votes out of 150 cast by delegates from the state’s 30 local government areas. Five votes were declared void.

Announcing the results, the Secretary of the Electoral Committee, Abdulazeez Salaudeen, confirmed Adeleke’s nomination, formally placing him on the party’s ticket for his second-term bid.