By OLAJIDE IDOWU

Ahead of the Aug. 8 governorship election in Osun, members of the National and State Assembly elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state have endorsed the Accord Party and its candidate, Gov. Ademola Adeleke.

This is contained in a communiqué issued by the lawmakers at the end of their stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adeleke defected from the PDP to the Accord Party on Dec. 9, 2025, to seek re-election.

The communiqué, lead by the Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Lere Oyewumi, stated that the endorsement of Adeleke was based on his performance in infrastructure development, workers’ welfare, healthcare, education, and democratic stability.

“Having reviewed the performance of the governor in infrastructure development, workers’ welfare, healthcare, education, and democratic stability.

“We unanimously endorse and give our total support to His Excellency, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, for a second term in office in the interest of continuity, stability, and sustained progress for Osun State”, it said.

The communiqué, however, said that the political realignments in the state do not in any way diminish the strength, structure, or grassroots support of the governor and the PDP in the state.

“The party remains united and firmly established at the National Assembly caucus level, State Assembly level, Executive Council, Local Governments, Wards, and grassroots structures across the state,” it said.

The lawmakers also said that they passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of the PDP Chairman in the state, Mr Sunday Bisi, the State Working Committee, and the leadership of the party in all the 30 local government and area offices, as well as the 332 wards in the state.

“We say unequivocally that they remain the executives of the party in Osun State.

“Any individual or group parading themselves as alternative leadership does not have the backing of the duly elected National and State Assembly caucus of the party in Osun State and should not be accorded legitimacy”, the communiqué said.

The communiqué also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the local government crisis in the state.

The lawmakers said that the continued withholding of local government allocations due to the state was causing avoidable hardship for teachers, nurses, healthcare workers, local government civil servants, retirees, and traditional institutions at the grassroots.

“We call on His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to give a directive to the illegal occupants to vacate immediately to avert crises.

“PDP as a party and the government in the state are law-abiding, and that is why we have chosen the path of peace and the path of law, not to throw the state into crisis,” it said.

The lawmakers called on the people of the state to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and steadfast in the defence of democracy and good governance.

NAN reports that five members of the National Assembly, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Saturday officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. (NAN)