Accord Party disowns factional primary, affirms Adeleke as sole Osun candidate

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Osun State chapter of the Accord Party has dismissed the purported governorship primary conducted by a faction of the party on Sunday, emphasising that Governor Ademola Adeleke remains the duly nominated and lawful governorship candidate of the party in the state.

The state chairman of the party, Pastor Babalola Akande, made the clarification during a press conference held on Sunday in Osogbo, alleging that the factional primary was orchestrated by individuals with links to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a desperate attempt to undermine the governor’s popularity.

He said that Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke emerged as the party’s candidate through a valid primary election lawfully conducted on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, in line with the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 and established judicial precedents.

Akande insisted that the outcome of the recognised primary is final and cannot be altered by any parallel structure, impersonation or contrived exercise, describing the factional process as legally baseless.

He added that all individuals named as participants in the factional primary, including one Mr Fanibe and Clement Bamgbola, are not known members of the Accord Party.

According to him, Fanibe was expelled from the party in 2018 over fraud and other acts inimical to the unity, discipline and progress of the party.

The Accord chairman urged residents of the state to disregard what he described as distractions created by “politically displaced actors” engaging in impersonation, falsehood and institutional sabotage.

Akande further warned that any primary or political gathering conducted outside the party’s officially recognised structure is illegal and void, adding that the party would pursue legal action against those involved, including petitions to relevant authorities and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.