The leadership of the Accord Party has affirmed that Governor Ademola Adeleke was validly nominated and elected as its gubernatorial candidate for the 2026 Osun election, warning expelled and disgruntled members against stoking leadership confusion or attempting to undermine the party’s unified position ahead of the poll.
The Nation recalled that Adeleke, being the sole aspirant of the party emerged as the candidate of the party after polling 145 delegates’ vote out of 150 on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a faction of the party at the national level led by its ex-presidential candidate, Prof. Chris Inumolen kicked against Adeleke.
Reacting to the development, the Osun State Chairman of Accord Party, Pastor Victor Akande, in a statement yesterday, refuted the claim by Inumolen, stating that “he has been formally expelled from the party due to several instances of anti-party conduct.”
Akande asserted that the Accord Party remains Nigeria’s best-organised and crises-free political party, saying “the party values transparency and discipline and holds democracy as a core value with no room for either godfatherism or political manipulation.”
He continued “The spokesperson, Forum of State Chairmen of Accord South West, Hon. Oke Rotimi, stated that the rumour making rounds that our National Chairman, Mr. Maxwell Mgbudem, Esq. has been suspended is absolutely and totally false.
“The National Executive Committee meeting on 3rd December 2025 passed a vote of confidence in Mgbudem by the whole National Working Committee. At no stage was there any form of disciplinary action against him as widely disseminated.”
Subsequently, Akande refuted the claims made against the party and its governorship candidate, Adeleke, clarifying that “Adeleke formally became a member of ACCORD on 6th November 2025 and he received public recognition from the party on 9th December 2025.
“He emerged as the valid winner at the ACCORD Party Primary conducted on 10th December 2025. The said primary election took place under strict guidelines approved by NEC and monitored by officials from INEC.”
Meanwhile, the Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo has tasked members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to unite and end the ‘acrobatic’ dance of the incumbent governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke in the 2026 gubernatorial race.
Okpebholo who is the chairman of the APC Primary Election Committee, during a stakeholders meeting held with members of the party ahead of the Saturday primary at the secretariat in Osogbo on Friday night, noted that the gathering is to further pronounce the APC’s resolve to democratic principles.
He announced that the mode of primary that will be adopted is affirmation.
He noted that all the 1,660 will be duly accredited at the venue of the primary before they are allowed into the venue.
“I want to appeal for unity in the APC after the primary. You must not allow internal bitterness to weaken our contest after the affirmation tomorrow.”
“We must return Osun State to the Progressive fold next year. You must all unite to end the acrobatic dance without success in this state. Are you not tired of what you are seeing?”
He assured that the primary will be free and fair in accordance with the assignment given to the committee by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.”
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
