Adekunle Akinlade, the former Deputy Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 Ogun State election, has officially announced his resignation from the party, citing deep-seated internal crises, exclusionary politics, and a lack of fairness from the party’s leadership at both state and national levels.
In a statement released on Monday and made available to Daily Post, Akinlade, popularly known as “Triple A,” said the decision followed extensive consultations with stakeholders, political allies, and his family. He described his resignation as “a painful but necessary step” given what he called the party’s descent into factionalism and the failure of the national leadership to act as a neutral arbiter.
“After a period of deep introspection and wide-ranging consultations with party members, political associates, respected leaders, stakeholders, and my family, I formally announce my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with immediate effect,” Akinlade stated.
The former lawmaker, who represented Egbado South and Ipokia federal constituency in the House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019, accused the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) of aligning with a faction within the Ogun State chapter. According to him, this alliance was not only unconstitutional but also undermined democratic values and internal party cohesion.
He said his group had complied with all the requirements for the party’s 2024 ward congresses, submitting a validated register of over 49,000 members across Ogun State. However, the list was arbitrarily discarded and replaced with another register backed by a rival faction, leading to parallel congresses across all 236 wards and 20 local governments. The crisis eventually triggered legal battles that are currently pending before the Court of Appeal.
“The sudden substitution of our validated register with that of another group, and the imposition of unauthorized congress outcomes, rendered the process not only unjust but unsustainable,” he said.
Akinlade also criticized the conduct of the PDP South West Zonal Congress, alleging that his faction was deliberately sidelined. He said the PDP had missed yet another opportunity for reconciliation and consensus-building, and instead ceded full control of party structures in Ogun to one bloc.
He expressed concern over the direction of the PDP nationally, pointing to rising defections, lack of internal discipline, and what he termed as “institutional bias” that has gripped the party’s leadership organs.
“The current turmoil within the national structure of the PDP, coupled with growing defections across the federation, raises valid concerns about the future and direction of the party,” Akinlade warned.
He stopped short of announcing his next political move but hinted that consultations were ongoing and that his next steps would soon be revealed.
“In the coming days, after due consultation and alignment, I will announce our next political direction,” he said.
Political observers believe that Akinlade’s exit could significantly alter the balance of power in Ogun State, particularly as the 2027 general elections draw closer. His influence in the Yewa-Awori axis of Ogun State, a region long clamoring for the governorship seat, may provide leverage to any party that successfully courts him.
Akinlade, who was the deputy governorship candidate to late Buruji Kashamu’s faction in 2019 and later joined the PDP in 2022, had previously contested for governor under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) with the backing of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun. His return to mainstream politics could ignite fresh realignments in both the PDP and APC camps in the state.
Meanwhile, PDP insiders in Ogun have remained tight-lipped over the latest defection, although a few party members privately admitted that the situation reflects deeper issues that could affect the party’s preparedness for 2027.