Adeleke set to announce new party
By Wollimoh Abdulmateen
Osun State political circles were thrown into fresh speculation on Tuesday after the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, disclosed that Governor Ademola Adeleke is preparing to unveil a new political platform before December 13.
The announcement comes weeks after the governor quietly tendered his resignation from the People’s Democratic Party. Adeleke had earlier confirmed that he submitted his withdrawal letter to PDP ward executives in Sagba Abogunde, Ede North, on November 4 a move that stunned several party loyalists who had long dismissed rumors of his impending departure.
Speaking during a political programme on Rave FM in Osogbo, Alimi explained that Adeleke’s exit was the culmination of prolonged friction within the PDP, particularly at the national level. He noted that mounting internal disputes left the party too unstable to guarantee a seamless path toward the coming governorship election.
The commissioner said residents should remain calm, insisting that the governor’s decision was guided by political necessity rather than personal grievances. According to him, Adeleke had delayed the move for months in hopes that the PDP would resolve its leadership tussle.
Alimi hinted that the final trigger was the fast-approaching deadline for political parties to conclude their nominations. With the Independent National Electoral Commission set to close its window on December 15, the governor, he said, had little choice but to seek a more reliable platform ahead of the August polls.
He dismissed narratives suggesting that the All Progressives Congress welcomed Adeleke’s resignation, describing such claims as political theatrics. Alimi insisted the APC had, in fact, hoped Adeleke would remain in the PDP so the party could exploit the national leadership crisis to challenge his candidacy in court.
According to him, the PDP’s internal factions worsened by unresolved disputes at the national headquarters created a trap that Adeleke was smart enough to escape. “Those fueling the crisis are aligned with rival interests,” he said, arguing that the governor refused to walk into a legal ambush.
On where Adeleke is headed next, the commissioner offered no direct answer, maintaining that discussions were ongoing across multiple political fronts. He, however, assured that the public would not be kept in the dark for long, saying the governor’s new party will be known “on or before December 12 or 13.”