Gov Adeleke to announce new political party before Dec 13 — Osun Commissioner
Following his resignation from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State will announce his new political party before December 13, according to the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.
Speaking during a political programme on Rave FM in Osogbo on Tuesday, Alimi confirmed that the governor quietly submitted his resignation letter to party executives in Sagba Abogunde, Ward 2, Ede North Local Government, on November 4.
He attributed Adeleke’s exit to what he described as longstanding internal crises within the PDP.
“The governor of Osun State and the Asiwaju of Ede has formally resigned his membership from the Peoples Democratic Party,” Alimi said.
“The governor has done this and has written his resignation letter for quite a long time.”
He urged residents to stay calm and maintain their support, saying the governor had no choice but to act in line with political realities ahead of next year’s governorship election.
According to him, the ongoing national-level division within the PDP poses a major threat to Adeleke’s chances of securing a nomination before the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) December 15 deadline.
“The governor is happy with the reaction so far, and everybody understands that had it not been the crisis or division at the national level, the governor wouldn’t have defected,” he noted.
“It’s about facing reality as our own election is coming up in August, and the INEC window for nomination is closing by December 15.”
Alimi dismissed speculation that the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) was pleased with Adeleke’s exit, saying the party had expected the governor to remain in the PDP and become vulnerable to legal challenges.
“They’re pretending; they know what has hit them. Adeleke is smarter. Now they know every step they take, he is always ahead of them,” he said.
The commissioner disclosed that consultations are ongoing regarding the governor’s next political destination.
“On or before December 12 or 13, everybody would have known,” he said, adding that the resignation would have been unnecessary “had it been that the PDP is not fractionalised at the national level.”
