Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has concluded plans to announce his new political platform on Wednesday, sources close to the state have said.

The announcement would come days ahead of the December 15 deadline for the submission of nominations for the 2026 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in line with the electoral calendar released for the election holding on August 8, 2026.

Sources close to the state told the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday that Governor Adeleke and his team have concluded plans to fly the flag of a new party that would guarantee his aspirations in the election. A source said that while everything appeared to have been wrapped up, the announcement is not likely to come before Wednesday. The source stated that a decision has been taken that Adeleke would personally announce his new platform.

“Everything is now set for the governor of Osun State to unveil the new platform that would keep him in the Government House beyond 2026. The agreement has been reached, and the date set aside to unveil the governor and the new party is December 10,” the source emphasised.

Although some sources said that the announcement must be made strategically, it was gathered that the governor’s camp had been toying with two key political parties as options. It was learnt that the governor’s camp had entered into discussions with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Accord Party (AP) at different times.

A source said that the options have already been properly analysed, with discussions on the possible strengths and liabilities of each of the prospective parties. A source said that while some stakeholders asked the governor to toy with the idea of allying with a former governor of the state, Mr Rauf Aregbesola in the ADC, others warned that joining Aregbesola might transfer all the liabilities of the former governor to Adeleke.

A source stated that Aregbesola was known for paying half salary (Afusa) when he governed the state, and that workers in the state have not forgiven him for the matter.

It was also learnt that members of the governor’s camp have equally toyed with the idea of running on the ticket of a new party, regarded as a greenfield option, with sources stating that while this might be advisable, the financial implication of setting up a completely new structure in the 30 local governments of the state is something to ponder about.

It was, however, confirmed that Governor Adeleke has concluded plans to beat the December 15 deadline of INEC for nominations and would announce his political choice on December 10.

Recall that the governor had earlier resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as a result of the crisis rocking the former, and he is compelled to announce another platform this week, before the expiration of the INEC’s deadline for submission of candidates for the 2026 election. (TRIBUNE)

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