Adedamola Emerges Osun PDP Governorship Candidate After Adeleke’s Shock Exit

 

Osun Reporters | 2nd December, 2025

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, conducted its gubernatorial primary election at the Adolak Events Center in Osogbo, barely 24 hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke resigned from the party, citing issues around internal cohesion at the national level.

Despite the dramatic political shake-up, the primary proceeded as scheduled, producing Adebayo Adedamola as the party’s flagbearer for the 2026 Osun governorship election.

Adedamola secured a landslide victory, polling 919 out of the 957 valid votes cast in the exercise monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Twenty votes were declared void.

Announcing the results, Chairman of the Primary Committee, Humphrey Abba, said:

“Void votes 20. We told you earlier that one of the aspirants withdrew. The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and stands elected and returned.”

Earlier, the Secretary of the Committee overseeing the process, Sunday Solarin, declared voting open at about 11:35 a.m. after delegates completed accreditation. He noted that although Governor Adeleke and Adedamola were originally on the ballot, Adeleke’s resignation automatically nullified any votes cast in his name.

He cautioned delegates that votes for Adeleke “would eventually amount to waste,” urging them to adhere strictly to voting guidelines.

The exercise was supervised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alongside a PDP national committee led by Humphrey Abba. Security was heavily beefed up around the entire premises to ensure a peaceful and hitch-free primary, with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) strategically deployed at all entry and exit points.

With the primary now concluded, Adebayo Adedamola is set to lead the PDP into the 2026 governorship race amid the party’s unfolding internal reorganisation following Adeleke’s abrupt departure.