Osun State Governor, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has withdrawn his membership of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, ending a long association with the party on whose platform he served as senator and later emerged governor.
Adeleke announced his resignation in a letter dated Nov. 4 and addressed to the chairman of Sagba Abogunde Ward 2 in Ede North Local Government Area. The letter was made available to newsmen in the early hours of Tuesday in Osogbo.
In the correspondence, the governor stated that the persistent leadership turmoil at the national level of the PDP had compelled him to step aside from the party.
“Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, I hereby resign my membership of the party with immediate effect,” he wrote. He also expressed appreciation to the PDP for providing the platform that led to his election as Senator for Osun West and later as Governor of Osun State.
Adeleke entered public office in 2017 after winning the Osun West senatorial by-election. His election followed the death of his elder brother, Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, whose seat he occupied for the remainder of the term. He served in the Senate until 2019.
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In 2018, he contested the Osun governorship election on the PDP platform. The initial results placed him ahead, but after a rerun was conducted, he lost the contest. A tribunal ruled in his favour in 2019, but the decision was later overturned.
Adeleke returned for the 2022 governorship election held on July 16, where he defeated the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola. He was sworn in as the sixth elected governor of Osun State in Nov 2022.
Although his resignation letter did not specify his next political destination, several political circles in the state have speculated about potential realignments ahead of the 2026 governorship election. The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed Aug. 8, next year, for the poll.
Adeleke’s exit from the PDP comes less than a year before political parties begin formal preparations for the governorship race, marking a significant development in Osun’s evolving political landscape.
Crediblenewsng.com
