Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has been formally cleared as the sole gubernatorial candidate for the Accord Party, marking a seamless step in his bid for re-election in the August 2026 governorship race. The party’s primary, held on Wednesdayin Osogbo, ratified his candidacy just days after his public defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The move follows weeks of political recalibration by the governor, who had quietly initiated his exit from the PDP on November 6, 2025. In a resignation letter dated November 4 and addressed to the PDP Ward 2 Chairman in Ede North Local Government Area, Adeleke cited persistent national leadership crises within the PDP as his reason for leaving. His departure came amid internal turmoil in the Osun PDP, which had already seen a factional primary produce Adedamola Adebayo (Fryo) as the candidate for one wing of the party on December 2.
At the Accord primary venue, 150 delegates five from each of the state’s 30 local government areas gathered to affirm Adeleke’s nomination. Pastor Victor Akande, Osun State Accord Party Chairman, confirmed that the governor met all requirements for the ticket.
“Governor Ademola Adeleke is our sole candidate for the 2026 governorship election. We are declaring him today,” Akande stated, underscoring the party’s unity and readiness for the contest.
The screening process was overseen by the party’s National Screening Committee, led by Elder Ibe Thankgod, who also serves as national organizing secretary. Adeleke received a certificate of clearance, which Thankgod presented while describing him as a “worthy gubernatorial aspirant” who had fulfilled all nomination criteria.
In his response, Adeleke thanked the committee and party leadership, reaffirming his commitment to the platform.
“I am ready for the primary and I am ready for the general elections. We are winning by God’s grace,” he declared during the proceedings.
Adeleke’s shift to the Accord Party aligns with his administration’s focus on welfare, a core tenet of the party’s ideology symbolized by its “Thumb-Up” emblem. Since taking office in 2022, his government has prioritized workers’ welfare, infrastructure, and social services—initiatives he highlighted as motivation for the switch.
“We opted for the Accord Party because its mission of welfarism aligns with our passionate focus on citizens’ and workers’ welfare,” Adeleke noted in his announcement on December 9 at the Government House Banquet Hall in Osogbo.
Preparations for the primary began earlier in December when the Accord Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) approved electoral guidelines and constituted an Electoral Committee to ensure a credible process. It also established a caretaker committee for the Osun chapter, appointing Pastor Victor Akande as chairman following the expiration of the previous leadership’s tenure. These steps, monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), reflect the party’s bid to position itself strongly for the 2026 contest.
Adeleke’s defection reshapes Osun’s political landscape ahead of a heated election cycle. The All Progressives Congress (APC) held ward congresses on December 9, electing 1,660 delegates for its primary on December 13, with aspirants such as Bola Oyebamiji and Mulikat Abiola cleared to run. Meanwhile, the PDP remains divided, with its Wike-backed faction yet to finalize a candidate—a split that could fragment opposition votes.
Accord Party National Chairman Maxwell Mgbudem has pledged full support for Adeleke, calling the partnership a “bold statement” for victory. The NEC also lifted suspensions of some Osun members to foster unity and passed a vote of confidence in Mgbudem’s leadership, dismissing factional claims. These moves come despite a legal challenge filed on December 3 by a party faction seeking to halt the primaries; the NEC maintains that no legitimate divisions exist.
With INEC’s deadline for candidate submissions set for December 15, Adeleke’s unopposed emergence positions the Accord Party as a significant contender in the 2026 Osun governorship race. The governor’s strategy appears focused on consolidating support across Osun West, East, and Central zones, banking on goodwill from his 2022 victory and a message of continuity through people-centered policies.
