A fresh leadership dispute has erupted within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State after party chieftain Ibraheem Adekunle insisted that he remains the party’s legally nominated candidate for the Osun Central Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general election.
The controversy followed claims by the lawmaker representing Osun Central, Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi, that he had rejoined the PDP and emerged as the party’s senatorial candidate for the district.
Speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Friday, Adekunle dismissed Fadeyi’s claim, warning against any move to replace his name as the PDP candidate. He maintained that he secured the party’s ticket through a properly conducted primary election.
Adekunle stated that he would seek legal redress if anyone attempted to tamper with his nomination, arguing that the party’s candidate selection process had been completed in line with the law.
He also questioned the circumstances surrounding Fadeyi’s reported return to the PDP, noting that while the senator was said to have obtained a waiver from the party on May 8, 2026, he allegedly participated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary on May 18, 2026.
According to Adekunle, the timeline raises serious questions about Fadeyi’s party membership.
“It has been claimed that Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi obtained a waiver from the Peoples Democratic Party on 8 May 2026. However, available records indicate that he subsequently participated in the APC senatorial primary election held on 18 May 2026 for the same office.
“This raises a fundamental question: if he had already become a PDP member through the alleged waiver on 8 May, under what legal or constitutional basis did he purchase APC nomination forms, submit APC nomination documents, undergo APC screening, campaign as an APC aspirant, and eventually participate in the APC primary election ten days later? Political party membership cannot exist in two parties at the same time.”
Adekunle further argued that by the time Fadeyi contested the APC primary, the PDP had already concluded its primary election for the Osun Central Senatorial District and forwarded his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He insisted that his nomination had been duly processed and uploaded to INEC’s nomination portal in accordance with the law.
“My name was duly submitted by the PDP to the Independent National Electoral Commission after the primary election and was subsequently uploaded on the Commission’s nomination portal in accordance with the law. I therefore remain the authentic and validly nominated PDP candidate for Osun Central Senatorial District,” he said.
Adekunle also expressed confidence in the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), saying he believes the party leadership, under Chief Nyesom Wike, will uphold due process and protect the integrity of the primary election.
He warned that he would pursue all legal avenues to defend his mandate if any attempt was made to substitute his name as the party’s candidate.
“I will vigorously defend my mandate and challenge, through every lawful means available, any attempt to unlawfully replace my name with that of any person who did not emerge from the PDP primary election,” he added.
BACKSTORY:
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has experienced recurring internal disputes over leadership, party structure and the nomination of candidates ahead of major elections. In recent months, disagreements among party stakeholders have intensified as political realignments and defections continue to reshape the state’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The latest controversy centres on the Osun Central Senatorial District, where Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi announced his return to the PDP and claimed to have emerged as the party’s candidate for the 2027 senatorial election. However, PDP chieftain Ibraheem Adekunle has rejected the claim, insisting he won the party’s primary election and that his name has already been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s authentic candidate.
The dispute has raised questions over party membership, the validity of the nomination process and compliance with electoral guidelines. If unresolved internally, the disagreement could end up before the courts and further test the PDP’s unity as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
