Osun 2026: Between opposition’s deft moves and cracks in PDP
The crisis that trailed the 2022 primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in Osun State are yet unresolved. But a recent move by the opposition and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, is unsettling the ruling party, reports.
EVEN a year after Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State assumed office, peace is still elusive in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP).
Different factions that contested the gubernatorial primaries in 2022 are still holding on to their positions and the winner- takes- all attitude of the governor is not helping in reconciling warring factions.
Although supporters of the governor said he has been working silently to end the internal crisis and bring all party members under the same umbrella, indifference to his government by other faction is an open statement of no love lost between them.
Some top elders of the party, who were offended before the emergence of Adeleke as the candidate of PDP are also nursing their pains in silence and have been less feasible in the affairs and activities of the government. Their silence speaks volumes of how the game will be played in 2026 when Adeleke will be seeking a second term in office.
While some of the chieftains of the party defected in annoyance to other political parties, a few others opted to stay but have since maintained a distance relationship or not publicly identifying themselves with the governor and the leadership of the party or seen at any official functions of the state government.
Political analysts observed that prominent elders and chieftains of the party, including former national secretary of the PDP and exgovernor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Shuaib Oyedokun, third republic Senator, Dr Oluwole Alabi, former leader of the party in the Southwest, Tajudeen Oladipo, have not been associating with Governor Adeleke and the leadership of the party currently chaired by Sunday Bisi.
One of their grievances is that the governor allegedly side- lined the elders and some party members, and has been running the affairs of the state with his loyalists, who stood by him during his struggles for the gubernatorial ticket.
“It is not news that the series of crises that happened before and after the 2022 primaries in Osun PDP are yet to be addressed. Many of the political figures affected are still nursing grouses against the governor. You know that many of these members are old people, who may not want to publicly let out their grievances.
“They decided to keep quiet and watch. That is why they hardly attend any of the public events organised by either the governor or the party. Many of them have complained that they are not being carried along in the scheme of things by the state government and have accused the governor of running a one- man show,” a chieftain of Osun PDP, who did not want his name mentioned, told The
Guardian.
Findings by The Guardian also revealed that the battle for the 2022 governorship ticket of Osun PDP further plunged the party into squabbles. The primary, which was fiercely contested, left the party more fractured and factionalised.
Recall that six former aspirants including Senator Adeleke, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, Fatai Akinbade, Sanya Ominrin, Dotun Babayemi, and Dele Adeleke contested for the PDP’S ticket.
The irreconcilable differences led to parallel primary by the two factions. A faction led by Wale Ojo’s was supported by late Soji Adagunodo, who was then the Deputy National Chairman in the Southwest, while Sunday Bisi led another faction that voted Senator Ademola Adeleke as the candidate of the party, Ojo announced Dotun Babayemi as the candidate.
The crisis heightened when Oyinlola was allegedly harassed and attacked by some persons said to be supporters of Governor Adeleke ahead of the primary.
Oyinlola, a retired military general and former administrator of Lagos State, was harassed at Laim Hotel, Osogbo, when he visited the committee sent by the National Secretariat of the PDP, to resolve the lingering crisis within the party.
Following the incident, some members of the party in Odo- Otin Local Government Area of the state protested Oyinlola’s attack and vowed never to support Adeleke.
After a myriad of suits against the candidature of Adeleke, the court eventually declared him as the authentic governorship candidate of the party, leaving his main rival, Babayemi out of the race.
But since Adeleke took up the mantle of leadership, there has been no serious effort to settle the crisis.
However, the faction loyal to Adeleke became jittery when the former Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former governor of the state Adegboyega Oyetola, who contested against Adeleke, visited Okuku, the country home of Oyinlola, to celebrate Christmas with the retired military officer. The Guardian gathered Oyinlola and his wife seized the opportunity of the event to take the minister, and his entourage including APC leaders in the state, on an inspection tour of his proposed Alolade Oyinlola University, Okuku.
While some political watchers speculated that Oyetola might have been making moves to woo Oyinlola to his side ahead of the 2026 governorship poll, others contended that the visit was only in the spirit of the season and was devoid of politics.
Speaking on Oyetola’s visit to Oyinlola, former Senior Special Assistant to Oyetola on Students’ Affairs and Social Mobilisation, Kehinde Ayantunji said the APC leader in Osun
State has the right to visit
Oyinlola in order to seek advice on how to function better as a
Minister.
He said,
“W h e n you look at the style of f o r m e r
Governor
Oyetola, I can say that apart from former Oyinlola, that united the Osun elite during their tenures, no other governor has done that. When Oyetola was the governor, you would see how he rallied all the elders in the state, including General Alani Akinrinade ( rtd), Olu Aina, even Oyinlola and Bisi Akande.
“Now that he ( Oyetola) is the Minister and representing Osun at the federal cabinet, he is under obligation to visit the elders, to seek advice and opinions on how to move this country forward. You cannot dismiss the experience of Oyinlola as a former military administrator and as a former governor in the state. Whether we like it or not, Oyetola is the rallying point as far as federal matters are concerned in Osun State, so he can visit anybody.”
Few days after Oyetola visited Oyinlola, Governor Adeleke also embarked on a marathon visitation to some key elders of the PDP with a view to strengthening the ruling party and uniting its members.
The governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, disclosed that Adeleke met with top elders of the party and promised “a new PDP where all members have a sense of belonging for collective success.”
Rasheed hinted that top elders of the party including Oyedokun, Oyinlola and Dr Oluwole Alabi were present at the series of strategic meetings at
night.
Rasheed also disclosed that members of the party’s Board of Trustees ( BOT) the state Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun; Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Lere Oyewumi; Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye; South West Zonal Vice Chairman nominee, Kamar Ajisafe Kosolowoe, State chairman of the party, Sunday Bisi, and other critical leaders of government and the party were at the meetings.
He said that party elders demanded urgent reconciliation of aggrieved elders and members during the meetings.
He said: “In a series of strategic meetings ahead of an upcoming stakeholders’ meeting, Governor Adeleke was accompanied by his Deputy, Adewusi; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun; Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Lere Oyewumi; Secretary to the State Government, Hon Teslim Igbalaye; Kosolowoe and other critical leaders of government and the party.
“Oyinlola who affirmed his faith in PDP as an elder of the party said he is proud of Governor Adeleke’s approach to governance, as well as his remarkable records of service delivery since assuming office.
“In his remarks, Oyedokun said Governor Adeleke has discharged his mandate in the best interest of the people. We cannot deny your great performance. On the streets, your positive hands are noticeable. You dance to deliver democratic dividends. You praise the Lord as you upgrade infrastructure and take care of workers’ welfare. What we need next is to close our ranks and unite behind your government as a true peoples’ government.”
Adeleke, who appreciated the leaders of the party for their kind words said: “I am committed to further open the doors of government and party to all party members. We seek the governorship and God granted our prayers. So, the past is gone, the present and the future are the focus. I value all party members, especially our elders. We will do all that is necessary to ensure an inclusive government committed to public service.
“I trust our party chairman, Hon Bisi, will do the needful. To all party men and women, be rest assured that as we raise the profile of the party, we will ensure a new PDP where all members have a sense of belonging for collective success”, the governor noted.”
In a bid to cement the unity, the state chairman said he will begin a tour of various local government chapters of the party to meet with members.
As the race for 2026 governorship election is taking shape, political watchers said if solid and meaningful reconciliation is not a c h i e v e d within the PDP, the s e c o n d term bid of Governor Adeleke may become a mirage.
It is not news that the series of crises that happened before and after the 2022 primaries in Osun PDP are yet to be addressed. Many of the political figures affected are still nursing grouses against the governor. You know that many of these members are old people, who may not want to publicly let out their grievances. They decided to keep quiet and watch. That is why they hardly attend any of the public events organised by either the governor or the party.