The Accord Party in Osun State has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to destabilise its structure ahead of the 2026 governorship election by sponsoring a parallel primary following the emergence of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the party’s candidate.
The allegation followed protests by a faction of the Accord Party over Adeleke’s emergence, with the group questioning the legitimacy of the party’s national leadership, led by Barrister Maxwell Ngbudem.
In a statement, the Osun State Chairman of the Accord Party, Pastor Victor Akande, described the alleged move as an attempt to sow discord within the party and create political tension in the state.
Adeleke’s Popularity Prompting Move To Cause Confusion in Party
According to him, “the plot of an illegal parallel primary is designed to sow seeds of disunity, confusion and chaos in the name of our party.”
Akande said the APC was resorting to “clandestine tactics” because it could not match the growing popularity and acceptance of Governor Adeleke since his declaration for the governorship race on the platform of the Accord Party.
READ ALSO: Adeleke Joins Accord Party, Declares Bid for Second Term
He further alleged that the APC was sponsoring one of its members to pose as an Accord aspirant in order to trigger a crisis within the party.
“We are a law-abiding, democratic, and peace-loving party. Only processes recognised by the appropriate national leadership of the party are valid. Any primary or aspirant outside this framework is invalid, null, and void,” Akande said.
The Accord Party chairman urged security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant authorities to take note of what he described as a plot capable of disrupting public peace, adding that Osun State had moved beyond political instability.
READ ALSO: Can Governor Adeleke Win Re-election Under Accord Party?
A faction within the Osun State Accord Party just recently announced Clement Bamigbola as its candidate for the state’s governorship election, following the conclusion of its own primary election, which came immediately after Governor Adeleke was announced as a flagbearer.
The Chris Imumolen-led faction has strongly criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke over his defection to the Accord Party.
The party’s leadership has, however, dismissed the faction as illegitimate.
APC Denies Involvement
Reacting, the APC dismissed the allegations, saying it was focused on its own campaign and had no interest in the internal affairs of other political parties.
The party’s Director of Media, Chief Kola Olabisi, said the APC had concluded its primary and successfully produced its candidate for the 2026 governorship election.
“We are not concerned with the infighting of other parties. We are concentrating on marketing our candidate to win the 2026 poll,” Olabisi said. “We held our primary on Saturday and picked our candidate. We are not aware of any other party’s primary.”
The Osun governorship election is scheduled to hold in August 2026.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
