Accord Clears Adeleke as Sole Contender in Osun 2026 Primary, Paving Way for Re-Election Bid Post-PDP Switch

By Emmanuel Kwada 

In a swift and uncontested move that solidifies his political pivot, Osun State Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke has been unanimously cleared by the Accord Party’s screening committee as the party’s lone aspirant for the 2026 governorship primary, set to unfold today in the state capital.

The endorsement, announced by Elder Ibe Thankgod, the committee’s chairman and the party’s National Organising Secretary, marks a seamless transition for Adeleke following his high-profile defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last month.

“Governor Adeleke has met all necessary requirements for nomination as our gubernatorial candidate,” Elder Thankgod declared during a press briefing at the party’s Osogbo secretariat.

“As the sole aspirant, he stands cleared without reservation. We have completed all required documentation and presented him with a certificate of clearance. He is indeed a worthy gubernatorial aspirant, whose leadership vision aligns perfectly with Accord’s progressive ideals.”

Joining Elder Thankgod on the three-member panel were Abdurahaman Muhammed, Abdulahi Sani Muhammed, and Mrs. Awogbade Rachael, whose rigorous vetting process praised Adeleke’s track record in infrastructure, education, and youth empowerment since assuming office in November 2022.

The clearance paves the way for what is expected to be a formality in today’s primary, where delegates from across Osun’s 30 local government areas will convene to rubber-stamp his candidacy.

Adeleke’s bold leap to the Accord Party, a smaller but agile opposition outfit comes amid simmering tensions within the PDP, where internal squabbles and a bruising 2022 election loss to the All Progressives Congress (APC) had left him sidelined.

The governor, a billionaire musician-turned-politician and younger brother of late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, cited “irreconcilable differences” and a quest for “unfettered service delivery” as reasons for the switch.

His move has roiled Osun’s political waters, forcing the PDP to scramble for a new flagbearer while bolstering Accord’s visibility ahead of the August 2026 polls.

“This is not just a clearance; it’s a clarion call for unity and progress in Osun,” Adeleke said in a statement released shortly after the announcement, vowing to “build on our dancing steps of development without the chains of party infighting.”

Supporters thronged the streets of Osogbo, waving Accord banners and chanting “Imole 2.0,” a nod to Adeleke’s nickname, “Dancing Governor,” and his light-themed campaign slogan.

As Osun’s primary delegates gear up for today’s proceedings at the International Conference Centre, all eyes are on whether this Accord alliance will propel Adeleke to a second term or falter against the APC’s entrenched machinery.