Adebayo Adedamola on Tuesday emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State election after polling 919 out of 957 valid votes in a primary held in Osogbo, the state capital.
The primary election committee chairman, Humphrey Abba, announced the result, declaring: “Void votes 20. We told you earlier that one of the aspirants withdrew. The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and stands elected and returned.”
Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, despite formally resigning from the PDP on November 4, 2025, had his name printed on the ballot paper.
In his resignation letter addressed to PDP Ward 2 Chairman Sagba Abogunde of Ede North Local Government, Adeleke wrote: “Due to the current crisis within the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my membership of the PDP with immediate effect. I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the People’s Democratic Party.”
The governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, confirmed the resignation.
Before voting began, the primary committee secretary, Sunday Solarin, told delegates that Adeleke and Adedamola were the two aspirants on the ballot but stressed that Adeleke had already resigned. He added that votes cast for Adeleke would “eventually amount to waste” and urged delegates to follow instructions.
Voting commenced shortly after accreditation ended around 11:35 a.m., with proceedings starting at exactly 11:07 a.m. under heavy security presence by the Department of State Security, police, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission and a PDP national committee led by Humphrey Abba monitored the exercise.
The Osun PDP primary was held despite earlier indications from the state chairman, Sunday Bisi, that the national crisis might force a postponement from the original December 2 date.
INEC’s timetable requires political parties to submit names of governorship candidates by December 15 ahead of the August 8, 2026 election.