How the 2026 off-cycle governorship election in Osun State will pan out is gradually unfolding as political parties pick their standard bearers.
Currently, the situation in the state indicates that three major contenders may emerge for the election, and the leading parties, unlike in the last election, seem to be different this time except for the All Progressives Congress, APC, which will pick its candidate tomorrow.
Candidates who have emerged include Governor Ademola Adele (Accord), Adebayo Adedamola (PDP), and Najeem Salaam (ADC).
One of the major issues shaping the poll is the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which denied Governor Ademola Adeleke a viable platform to advance his re-election bid.
The crisis has shotaa the PDP from a ruling party down to an opposition party in the state.
Governor Adeleke had in the midst of the PDP crisis attempted to defect to the APC but was rejected by the party members in the state on the ground that he went through the wrong channel and in the process tried to sideline their leader, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.
After the move went south, the governor attempted to stay within the PDP, hoping that the internal crisis would be resolved, or at best curry the favour of both camps to scale through party nomination.
But the situation went from bad to worse, following the decision of the Governor Seyi Makinde-backed camp to hold a convention in Ibadan against the decision of the Nyesom Wike group.