Factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Turaki, says the party has not received any official communication from Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, confirming his resignation from the party.
This comes after earlier reports revealed that Governor Adeleke had withdrawn from the PDP, citing unresolved internal crises. Despite this, his name still appeared on the ballot for the party’s governorship primary held on Tuesday in Osogbo.
At the primary, Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as Fryo, clinched the PDP governorship ticket for the 2026 Osun election with 919 of the 957 valid votes.
Speaking to journalists after a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja, Turaki said Adeleke is constitutionally free to stay or leave the party but insisted that the PDP had not received any formal notice from him.
“We have seen online a letter said to be from him resigning, but up till this moment, we have not received any formal indication that he has left,” Turaki said. He added that since Adeleke’s name remained on the list of aspirants, the party would rely on reports from its officials at the primary to confirm whether the governor had formally withdrawn.
Turaki reiterated that the PDP’s strength lies in its loyal supporters at the grassroots, not elected officials who choose to defect. He pointed out that previous defections by governors in other states did not diminish the party’s base.
“Our people have remained with us, and when elections come, they will show that the PDP is still solid,” he assured.
He also disclosed that the NWC had reviewed and approved the ad hoc delegate congresses conducted in Osun and noted that preparations for the Anambra local government elections were progressing smoothly.
Turaki further revealed that former PDP governors nominated as non-career ambassadors by President Bola Tinubu had not communicated their decisions to the party. “If they approach us, we will consider their communication on its merit,” he said.
On the security challenges facing the nation, Turaki urged the federal government to urgently reform the country’s security architecture, stressing that governors cannot be regarded as chief security officers when they lack real 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.
