Fresh details have emerged in the leadership crisis affecting the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, as opposing factions within the party continue to assert their positions ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.
At the centre of the dispute is the status of the state chairman, Sunday Bisi, who has rejected claims that he has been removed from office.
Bisi Dismisses Stakeholders’ Action
Bisi faulted the decision of a stakeholders’ forum which announced his purported removal, describing the action as unconstitutional and without legal effect.
Speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Thursday, he insisted that he remains the duly elected chairman of the party in the state and that his tenure is still valid.
“The forum lacks legal powers or mandate to remove or tamper with the elected structures of the party. I remain the chairman,” Bisi said.
He stressed that only constitutionally recognised organs of the party could take decisions affecting elected officials.
PDP endorses Adeleke for August election
Bisi disclosed that the PDP in Osun State did not field a candidate for the August governorship election, adding that the party had endorsed Ademola Adeleke for re-election.
“As the PDP has no candidate for the August gubernatorial election, the party has endorsed Governor Ademola Adeleke for re-election. That is the fact of the situation,” he stated.
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While acknowledging internal tensions, Bisi said most elected officials in the state remained members of the PDP.
“Our elected officials, apart from the governor and the deputy governor, are still in the PDP. Our party has no candidate and has accordingly endorsed Governor Adeleke,” he added.
Bisi Reacts to Oyinlola’s Comments
The chairman also responded to comments attributed to former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, describing them as inconsistent with what he termed the mainstream position of the party in the state.
“The statement credited to former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola is an open betrayal and a continuation of a failed 2022 plot to stop Governor Adeleke,” Bisi said.
He attributed the crisis to divisions within the national leadership of the PDP, which he said threatened the governor’s political future and necessitated strategic decisions.
“The division within the PDP national leadership threatened the candidacy of our governor. The right thing was done by the governor to seek a platform for re-election. Prince Oyinlola was even the first to suggest this,” he said.
‘Mainstream Osun PDP Stands Firm’ – Bisi
Bisi maintained that the core leadership and membership of the party in the state remained aligned with the current state executive.
“The mainstream of Osun PDP stands by the governor, by our leadership and by our elected mandate as state officers, which cannot be truncated by any unelected, illegal or unauthorised group,” he stated.
Earlier, at a separate stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo, Oyinlola said the PDP remained a viable political force in the state despite reports of Governor Adeleke’s defection to the Accord Party.
He explained that the meeting was convened to clarify developments within the party at both national and state levels.
“There have been confusing narratives about the status of PDP, especially in Osun State. What we have done today is to clearly explain the situation to our members so that wards and local governments will know exactly where PDP stands in Osun,” Oyinlola said.
Responding to claims that the PDP structure in the state had collapsed into the Accord Party to support Adeleke’s re-election, he dismissed the allegation.
“PDP is a party with presence across the nooks and crannies of this country. It is not in our time that we will allow it to die,” he said.
Oyinlola added that the party remained open to future developments.
“We are holding on to PDP. If tomorrow our governor decides to return to his family in PDP, he will be welcomed. For now, PDP is standing strong in Osun State,” he said.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
