Scores of Hoodlums Arrested, confessed Governor Makinde mobilised them. Members of the Oyo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dominated today’s governorship primaries of the PDP held at Osogbo, investigation and eyewitness accounts at the venue have revealed.

Buses filled with PDP members were seen entering from both Iwo and Ikire end of Osun state last night and early this morning with many of the buses stopping at Adolak hotel, the venue of the congress.

A check through the hall revealed that Osun PDP members were not in attendance even though the Ibadan based zonal youth leader of the PDP was identified as the anchor mobilised of the Oyo state PDP members for the Osun Congress.

A chat with some of the individuals at the Congress confirmed that they were mostly from Oyo state with some of them actually confirming that they were recruited to attend.

The presence of Police men and women from Oyo state who provided security cover for the mobilised party members.

Some political thugs were however arrested and they narrated how they were mobilised from the Government House in Oyo state.

On why Oyo PDP members had to be mobilised for the Osun Congress, a party chieftain from Oyo state who was also present said “Osun PDP did not conduct the mandatory three adhoc delegates to vote at the Congress.

“ So we fill the vacancies with our people from Oyo state. We cannot allow PDP to die here. That is why we have to so mobilise”, the source noted.

•Adebayo Adedamola

Adebayo Adedamola on Tuesday emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the Osun 2026 election.

Adedamola polled 919 votes out of 957 cast in the primary held today in Osogbo, the state capital.

The chairman of the primary, Humphrey Abba, announced the result, stating, ”Void votes 20. We told you earlier that one of the aspirants withdrew.

“The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and stands elected and returned.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has enjoined President Bola Tinubu to replicate protection of opposition candidates in Nigeria, referencing the granting of asylum and providing protection to Mr. Fernando Dia Da Costa, the opposition presidential candidate in the recently concluded Guinea-Bissau Presidential Election.

According to information credited to the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, and his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Alkasim Abdulkadir, the decision was taken to shield Mr. Da Costa from imminent threats to his life, safeguard the democratic aspirations of the people of Guinea-Bissau, and reinforce Nigeria’s commitment to regional peace, stability, and conflict de-escalation in the sub-region.

Comrade Ini Ememobong, PDP National Publicity Secretary, while noting that Nigeria’s intervention, which is aimed at preserving peace and democracy in Guinea-Bissau and, by extension, the West African sub-region, the PDP urges President Tinubu to apply the same democratic principles at home.

This includes checking and curtailing the activities of anti-democratic forces within his cabinet and political machinery, who openly orchestrate, fund, and engineer crises in major opposition parties.

Although the President is not expected to assist opposition parties, he has a constitutional duty to ensure that Nigeria’s political space remains free, open, and competitive.

Presently, this space is being constricted through coercion of elected officials to defect to the ruling party and the sponsorship of crises in opposition parties.

The philosophical underpinning that catalysed Nigeria’s intervention in Guinea-Bissau should also guide the President’s conduct domestically to safeguard Nigeria’s electoral democracy from decline and prevent the slide toward a one-party state.

The President must act promptly in defence of democracy in Nigeria.

He cannot present himself as a defender of democracy in the sub-region while enabling anti-democratic practices at home that undermine democratic institutions and processes.