Umar Sani, a prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has revealed why Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke did not attend the party’s primary election in the state.

According to Sani, Governor Adeleke believes the internal crisis within the party would prevent the PDP from producing a validly recognised candidate.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Friday, Sani alleged that the governor planned to defect to another political party. His aim was to secure an election ticket there and then return to the PDP.

Sani further claimed that the governor deliberately avoided the primary process. This, he suggested, was to create grounds for his temporary defection.

PDP Rejects Adeleke’s Alleged Strategy

Sani, who chaired the three-man ad hoc delegates committee for Osun, confirmed he personally supervised the delegates’ election in Osogbo. He stated the exercise was conducted peacefully. The results were uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal and officially acknowledged.

The PDP, however, rejected such a strategy. Sani insisted that all aspirants must contest on the party’s platform. This is crucial for preserving the PDP’s integrity.

Sani provided further details. “I was the chairman of the three-man ad hoc delegates committee. I went to Osun and lodged in Osogbo,” he explained. “We conducted the three-man delegate election. The results have been uploaded into the INEC portal and recognized. I speak from an insider’s perspective.”

He continued, “Governor Adeleke does not want the PDP to field a candidate. He believes there’s a problem within the PDP regarding whose signature INEC will recognize. So, he is trying to move to another party. According to him, he would get the seat and then return to the PDP.”

Sani clarified the party’s stance: “The PDP says no, we cannot do that. We want someone to run on our platform. What would the party look like if we have a platform but don’t use it? Others would follow suit, giving the same excuse of getting something elsewhere and returning.”

“So we insisted that anyone who wants to contest must use our platform,” Sani affirmed. “That’s why we conducted the primary election. It was not hijacked. It was done peacefully, widely shared on social media, with results openly counted and announced.”