A Silent Storm Around Osun’s 2026 Governorship Race

There are moments in politics when silence speaks louder than any public declaration. In Osun State today, that silence is deafening.

For months, whispers have travelled from community meetings to party caucuses, from private lounges to social media threads whispers about Governor Ademola Adeleke and the mysterious direction of his political future. At first, many dismissed these as ordinary rumours, the typical background noise of Nigerian politics. But the events surrounding the recent PDP convention in Ibadan have poured fuel onto what was once just a flicker of speculation.

Governor Adeleke’s conspicuous absence from the convention, despite sending top-ranking members of his cabinet has become the loudest political statement made without a speech. To some observers, it reads like a coded message boldly etched across the political landscape.

To others, it signals a deeper reality: the governor may no longer be fully aligned with the party structure he once proudly embraced.

But if not PDP, then what?
That question hangs in the air like an unfinished sentence; its answer concealed, its implications enormous.

Those close to the system insist that the matter has moved far beyond ordinary party politics. I am within the system, and as someone firmly rooted in the PDP, it is clear that everything that played out during the convention reveals how much is simmering beneath the surface. The internal crisis is unfolding in real time. It is no surprise, then, that Mr. Governor is said to be weighing all his options carefully; crossing the carpet is not a decision to take lightly, especially in the face of a storm that is still gathering.

Though the exact party platform he may adopt for the 2026 governorship election remains undisclosed, political watchers are on high alert as Several other political parties are already positioned and available for consideration.

What is even more telling is the recent remark by the Newly re elected Southwest zonal chairman of the PDP, Hon Kamorudeen Ajisafe in a post-convention interview, he explained that the party convention intentionally hold to “beat every odds,” and to uphold the integrity of the Party, despite court judgement.

He openly acknowledged the widening cracks on the PDP wall, warning that anyone seeking reelection under the party must be prepared to reconsider their platform of choice. His words, whether intended or not, serve as a direct red signal to the Osun PDP to re-examine its internal movements.

This is precisely why I maintain that even if Governor Adeleke eventually chooses another party, his reelection bid will be determined more by his personality than by the umbrella he stands under. In 2026, Osun will vote for character and performance not Political Party.

Meanwhile, a different kind of storm is brewing at the national level. The intensified political activities of figures like Nyesom Wike have reopened old wounds, threatening once again to drag the PDP into another cycle of legal battles.

Analysts are already recalling the Zamfara precedent, where a single invalidated congress redrew the electoral map overnight and handed victory to the runner-up. If the courts eventually nullify the convention or even parts of it, the consequences could sweep away the party’s carefully arranged political chessboard.

What does that mean for those who emerged from that process?

What does it mean for Osun?

And most importantly, what does it mean for Governor Adeleke’s second-term bid?

For now, these questions float unanswered.

But one thing is certain: Governor Adeleke is not asleep. Neither is he folding his arms.

Behind the curtains of governance lies a network of consultations, midnight meetings, and strategic calculations. He is reportedly working day and night to ensure that his promise of delivering Osun to a “Promised Land” does not become a casualty of national turbulence.

And so, the people wait.
They watch.
They speculate.
Will he remain in the PDP?
Will he move to a different platform?
Will a new political coalition emerge from the shadows?
Or will he chart a path no one currently anticipates?
For now, the answer remains deliberately hidden—suspended between political strategy and unfolding national drama.

One thing is clear: Osun’s 2026 governorship race will not be business as usual.
The ground is shifting.
The roof has finally begun to shake…
and the sentence remains unfinished, just like the story itself!!!