The Osun State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sunday Bisi, and the Secretary of the party’s caretaker committee, Seyi Bamidele, on Monday disagreed over a directive urging members to support the reelection bid of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
PUNCH Online reports that the Bisi-led State Working Committee loyal to Adeleke had earlier been dissolved by the Taminu Turaki-led National Working Committee of the PDP, which subsequently appointed a caretaker committee headed by Tunde Tijani, with Bamidele serving as secretary.
However, the dissolved SWC rejected the action, insisting it remains the constitutionally recognised leadership of the party in Osun State.
The fresh disagreement followed a directive issued by Bisi during an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting of the PDP in Osogbo on Monday, where he instructed all party structures to support Adeleke’s reelection bid in the 2026 governorship poll under the platform of the Accord Party.
“After careful consideration of the overriding interest of Osun people, the Osun State Chapter of the PDP hereby directs all our structures, from the polling units to the wards, from the wards to the local governments, and from the local governments to the state executive committee, to move en masse and give total, unalloyed, and uncompromising support to the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke under the platform of the Accord,” Bisi said.
Describing the move as “a strategic advance for the sake of Osun State,” Bisi cited what he termed achievements of the Adeleke administration, including road infrastructure projects across Osogbo, Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Ede, Iwo and Ila, as well as improvements in primary healthcare.
“Your Excellency, in just over three years, you have rewritten the governance narrative of this state. From the massive road infrastructure transforming our cities to the comprehensive primary healthcare revolution that has attracted global recognition and cumulative one million dollar cash awards, your administration has proven that governance is not about noise; it is about impact aided by heart of service,” he added.
But responding in a statement, Bamidele dismissed the directive, declaring it null and void.
“Such a directive is null, void, and of no consequence,” he said, urging party members and the general public to disregard it.
He maintained that the dissolved executive lacked constitutional authority to issue directives on behalf of the PDP.
“The dissolved executive lacks the constitutional authority to speak for or issue directives on behalf of the PDP.
“Matters relating to coalition, alliance, or political partnership fall strictly within the prerogative of the National Leadership of our great party. No individual or dissolved organ has the power to appropriate that responsibility.
“The PDP remains a formidable and independent political platform. Our structures across the state — from unit to ward, local government, and state levels — remain intact, functional, and loyal to the party.
“We are fully prepared and actively mobilising for the August 15 gubernatorial election, confident that our party will be duly represented on the ballot,” the statement read.
