The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not be on the ballot for the 2026 Osun governorship election, despite producing the sitting governor, Ademola Adeleke. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cleared 14 political parties for the August 8 poll, but PDP failed to submit a recognised candidate within the required window, effectively erasing the umbrella logo from the ballot.
In a dramatic twist, Governor Adeleke has secured the governorship ticket of the Accord Party, turning what should have been PDP’s home advantage into a test of survival on another platform. PDP state and federal lawmakers, along with key party leaders in Osun, have rallied behind Adeleke’s new platform, openly endorsing Accord instead of insisting on rescuing their own party’s ticket.
For a party that once controlled the state government, dominated local governments and boasted strong grassroots structures, watching an off-cycle governorship election in Osun without a candidate of its own captures how PDP has become a shadow of its former self. Internal crises, leadership tussles and unresolved factional battles have weakened the party to the point where it could not even manage a governorship primary that satisfied basic electoral guidelines.
The symbolism is heavy: PDP, once a major pillar of Osun politics, will be reduced to playing a background role, deploying its networks to work for Accord rather than flying its own flag. No matter who wins in August, the 2026 election has already recorded a political first: Osun going to the polls without the PDP on the governorship ballot, a stark reminder of how quickly a dominant party can lose its structure and identity.
