Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Tuesday in Osogbo explained when and why he joined the Accord Party, as the party prepares to hold its governorship primary today. He revealed that he moved to the party more than a month ago, and he is now preparing to take part in the primary where he may become the Accord flagbearer for the August 8, 2026 governorship election.
The primary will take place in Osogbo, and party leaders in the state had earlier assured him of a waiver that would allow him to contest for the ticket once he became a member. His spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, confirmed that the governor completed all membership conditions and would participate fully in today’s exercise.
Adeleke told supporters at the Government House on Tuesday that he joined the party on November 6 after weeks of consultation with political associates and community leaders across Osun. He said the new party offered the platform he needed to seek a second term and continue projects and programmes started under his administration. He also said the Accord Party’s focus on welfare attracted him because it matched his current style of governance, which he said centres on workers’ needs and general public well-being.
The governor left the Peoples Democratic Party weeks earlier after long-running disagreements at the national level. His resignation letter, addressed to the PDP Ward 2 chairman in Ede North and dated November 4, showed that he stepped aside due to the leadership dispute that had divided the party for months. His exit came before the PDP primary held on December 2, which produced Adedamola Adebayo as the party’s candidate under the faction led by Tanimu Turaki, while the Wike-backed faction had not conducted its own primary.
Leaders of the Accord Party, both at the national and state levels, were present at the Government House on Tuesday as Adeleke made his public declaration. Supporters from different parts of Osun gathered to hear him speak. He said he had studied the party’s values since joining and believed that they matched his priorities for the state. He added that his administration had focused on improving infrastructure and social services, and he wished to complete more projects in a second term.
The PDP in Osun later reacted to his exit, saying the crisis in the national leadership created uncertainty that made it impossible to conduct a unified primary on December 2. The party noted that Adeleke might still have had a chance to return for the ticket if the crisis were settled before the Independent National Electoral Commission’s deadline of December 15 for the submission of governorship candidates.
INEC’s timetable shows that all political parties must submit names of candidates by the set deadline ahead of the 2026 election. As of now, Adeleke is on track to contest for the Accord Party’s ticket in today’s primary in Osogbo and could officially become the party’s candidate for the upcoming governorship election.