Former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Secretary to the State Government Fatai Akinbade, former PDP National Vice Chairman, Southwest, Tajudeen Oladipo, and APC governorship candidate Bola Oyebamiji gathered in Osogbo on Sunday, 9 August 2026, as an Oyinlola-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party endorsed Oyebamiji for Saturday’s Osun governorship election, delivering a significant political setback to incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke.
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The endorsement came less than a week before voters across the state are due to choose their next governor on 15 August.
Oyinlola said the decision was driven largely by what his group described as a lack of inclusiveness in Adeleke’s administration.
The former governor said the faction had invested political energy in the PDP project but became increasingly dissatisfied with the direction of governance in the state.
“One of the major issues that have created this unfortunate situation, in our considered view, is the lack of inclusiveness in the governance of our dear state,” Oyinlola said.
He stressed, however, that the move should not be interpreted as a formal defection from the PDP.
“Let me repeat that our decision today should not be interpreted as an abandonment of the PDP,” he said.
Oyinlola said the group remained PDP members but had chosen to support Oyebamiji based on its assessment of what Osun needed at this point.
The decision gives Oyebamiji an important boost as the APC seeks to unseat Adeleke, who defeated the party’s candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, in the 2022 governorship election.
The political landscape has since become increasingly competitive.
Adeleke was formally screened by the PDP ahead of the 2026 race and has consistently presented his administration as one deserving of another term.
In December 2025, the governor said he was confident of defeating Oyebamiji and continuing what he described as his administration’s people-focused governance.
The governor has also accused the APC camp of attempting to undermine the electoral process, allegations that the opposition has rejected.
In July, Adeleke called for sanctions against several APC figures, including Oyebamiji and Oyetola, over alleged involvement in political violence.
Those allegations remain contested.
For Oyebamiji, the latest endorsement adds to a series of claims of growing support across the state.
Responding to the Oyinlola group’s backing, Oyebamiji said his campaign had received support from different sections of Osun and argued that the latest endorsement would strengthen his chances at the polls.
“This assignment has been made easy for me,” Oyebamiji said, adding that his campaign had visited all 30 local government areas of Osun State about three times.
He also pledged to respond to the concerns raised by the Oyinlola faction if elected.
“I will stand by your mandate. I will not disappoint you. I will make you proud,” Oyebamiji said.
Oyinlola urged the APC candidate to make inclusive governance central to his administration if elected.
He specifically pointed to economic development, infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, youth empowerment and employment opportunities.
The former governor also called on Oyebamiji to ensure that every part of Osun feels represented in government.
The endorsement was welcomed by Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun governor, who described Oyinlola as an experienced grassroots politician whose political influence remained significant.
Oyetola urged voters to remain peaceful as the election approaches.
The development also highlights the complicated loyalties surrounding the Osun race.
While Oyinlola’s faction has chosen an APC candidate, the group has stopped short of formally leaving the PDP, making the move an electoral endorsement rather than a conventional party defection.
That distinction could matter in the final days of campaigning, particularly as Adeleke’s camp attempts to retain the support of PDP structures and voters.
The endorsement has already drawn a response from another political camp.
The Osun Accord Party said Oyinlola’s support for Oyebamiji would not prevent Adeleke from securing re-election, suggesting that the impact of the PDP faction’s decision remains uncertain.
The election is also taking place amid heightened security preparations.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said on Monday that it had deployed 10,000 personnel from 10 state commands ahead of the poll.
The PDP’s state chairman, Sunday Bisi, was reportedly unavailable for comment on the endorsement.
Calls to his mobile phone did not go through, while he had not responded to a WhatsApp message by the time the report was filed.
With just days remaining before voting, the Oyinlola faction’s decision has added a fresh layer of intrigue to an already closely watched contest.
Whether the endorsement translates into votes on 15 August will ultimately depend on how strongly the faction can mobilise its supporters and whether those supporters follow the directive at the ballot box.
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For now, the move has given Oyebamiji a valuable political talking point while placing renewed attention on Adeleke’s ability to hold together the PDP coalition that carried him to power in 2022.
