- Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has officially secured the governorship seat of the Accord Party for the 2026 elections, confirming his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following a protracted internal crisis.
- Adeleke was approved as the candidate for Akode in the primary elections held in Osogbo, where he ran unopposed and received 145 of the 150 delegate votes.
- INEC officials and the party’s national leadership oversaw the exercise, which officially made him the Accord flag-bearer for the August 8, 2026 polls.
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has officially emerged as the governorship candidate of the Accord Party for the 2026 elections, marking the state’s decisive breakaway from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after months of internal turmoil.
Adeleke was approved as the party’s flag bearer after representatives from all 30 local government areas voted in the primaries held in Osogbo on Wednesday. He was unopposed and received 145 votes out of 150, five of which were declared invalid.
The exercise was observed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and supervised by the national leadership of the Accord Party. Junior Committee Secretary Abdulazeez Salaudeen confirmed Adeleke as the party’s candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election.
Adeleke’s emergence comes after rising tensions within the People’s Democratic Party, which led to the suspension of the party’s planned primaries in early November. The widening factional dispute has created uncertainty over the direction of the People’s Democratic Party, prompting the governor to resign from the party on November 4 in search of a more stable platform.
He quietly registered with the Accord party on November 6 and later revealed that his decision followed “extensive consultations” held weeks earlier. He noted that the agreement’s focus on social welfare was closely aligned with his government’s priorities.
Following his confirmation, Adeleke pledged to continue projects initiated by his administration, stressing that his defection was motivated by the need for political stability and effective governance. His addition immediately strengthens Accord’s position in the 2026 race and highlights deeper rifts within the national Democratic Party.
