Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, known across political circles as FRYO, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Osun State ahead of the August 8, 2026 election. His victory came after a tightly controlled primary held in Osogbo on Tuesday.
The exercise, conducted amid a heavy security presence, saw 957 delegates accredited to vote. At the end of the process, the chairman of the PDP primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, announced that Adedamola secured 919 votes, a result that placed him far ahead of his rivals. Abba revealed that 20 ballots were declared invalid, noting that the withdrawal of one of the aspirants—believed to be Governor Ademola Adeleke—contributed to the void votes. He confirmed Adedamola as elected and returned as the party’s flagbearer.
Despite his recent announcement of resignation from the PDP, Adeleke’s name remained on the ballot. The Osun governor, who notified the party of his departure in a November 4, 2025 letter, had insisted he was no longer seeking the ticket. Still, party insiders acknowledged that resignations do not automatically void candidature under internal electoral guidelines.
According to officials overseeing the primary, the voting process adhered to existing party procedures, with accredited delegates participating as required. Tensions, however, had mounted in the days leading to the exercise. On Monday, state PDP chairman Sunday Bisi declared that the primary would be postponed, citing unresolved leadership issues at the national level. That directive was ignored by a faction of the party, which proceeded with the Osogbo vote.
Adedamola’s emergence now sets the stage for an intense build-up to the 2026 governorship contest, with the PDP navigating internal divisions while preparing to face other political parties in the months ahead.