Two governorship candidates in Saturday’s Osun State election, Adebayo Simon Adewale of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Adedamola Adebayo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have withdrawn from the race and endorsed incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, in a development that reshapes the political calculations less than 48 hours before voters go to the polls.
Adewale announced his withdrawal at a press conference in Osogbo on Thursday, saying the decision followed extensive consultations with party leaders, supporters and other stakeholders. He stressed that the move was not motivated by pressure or personal interest, but by a determination to place the interests of Osun State above personal political ambition.
“I, Adebayo Simon Adewale, the governorship candidate of Allied Peoples Movement in Osun governorship election 2026, after deep reflection and extensive consultation with party leaders, supporters and stakeholders, have decided to withdraw from the Osun State governorship election,” he said.
He then threw his support behind the incumbent: “Accordingly, I hereby declare my full support for the re-election of His Excellency, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, and I call all my supporters, members of Allied Peoples Movement, and the good people of Osun to join me in supporting the election.”
Adewale framed the decision as one aimed at promoting peace, stability and development in the state: “This decision is about the future of Osun. Politicians should always serve the people, and today I have chosen the path that I believe will best advance peace, stability, development, and the collective interest of our state.”
In a separate development, the PDP’s candidate, Adedamola Adebayo popularly known as “Fryo” also announced his withdrawal during a press briefing in Osogbo, declaring his endorsement of the governor: “I, Honourable Adedamola Adebayo, known as Fryo, hereby endorse His Excellency, Senator Ademola Adeleke ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.”
He urged supporters within his party to fall in line behind the incumbent, saying: “I encourage all PDP members, supporters and structure to share this position peacefully. Support the emergence of Ademola Adeleke as the governor till 2030.”
The back-to-back withdrawals, coming within hours of each other in Osogbo, mark a significant boost for Adeleke, who is seeking a second term. He faces his stiffest competition from the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in a field that had included 15 political parties after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently added the Social Democratic Party’s candidate to the ballot.
While the exits of the APM and PDP candidates reduce the number of active contenders, they are unlikely to eliminate the broader competition Adeleke faces, given the scale of the APC’s campaign in the state. Notably, the political realignments ahead of Saturday’s vote have cut both ways: Accord Party’s Professor Christopher Imumolen had earlier withdrawn his support for Adeleke at an APC rally in Osun, publicly swapping his party cap for one bearing the APC’s colours.
More than 25,000 security personnel have been deployed across Osun State for Saturday’s poll, with voters across the state’s 30 local government areas set to decide who governs the state for the next four years.
