The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has not yet received any formal resignation letter from Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke, despite widespread reports that he has left the party amid internal disputes.
Kabiru Turaki, factional chairman of the PDP, told reporters after a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja that the party only learned of Adeleke’s reported exit through media coverage.
“We have seen online a letter said to be from him resigning from our party, but I tell you that we have not, up to this moment, received any formal indication that he has left,” Turaki said.
Adeleke announced Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the PDP, citing unresolved crises within the party. Turaki, however, said Adeleke remains—at least on paper—one of the aspirants for the party’s 2026 governorship ticket in Osun state.
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He said officials overseeing the PDP primary would determine whether the governor has voluntarily withdrawn from the race or remains a contender.
“As far as we are concerned, even if the letter circulating online is genuine, Gov. Adeleke, like any Nigerian, has the freedom to associate as he wishes,” Turaki said.
Turaki downplayed concerns about high-profile defections, saying the PDP’s strength lies in its grassroots supporters, not elected officials.
“Our people have remained with us, and by God’s grace, when elections come, they will show that the PDP is still solid,” he said.
The factional chairman said the NWC has reviewed and approved the congresses that produced ad hoc delegates in Osun. He added that preparations for the upcoming local government elections in Anambra were on track, and the party expects a strong showing.
Turaki also said former PDP governors nominated by President Bola Tinubu for non-career ambassadorial appointments have not officially notified the party of their decisions. “If they approach us, we will consider their communication on its merit,” he said.
On Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, Turaki urged the federal government to overhaul the national security structure, arguing that state governors cannot reasonably be called chief security officers when they lack operational control over security agencies.
“We call on the federal government to brace up and begin a comprehensive review of the security framework in this country,” he said.
In Osun, Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola emerged Tuesday as the PDP’s governorship candidate for the 2026 election after securing 919 votes in a primary held at Adolak Hall in Osogbo.
