- Party alerts IGP, DSS
By John Dike, Osogbo
The Imole Accord Vanguard (IMAV), a socio-political organisation in Osun State, has raised alarm over an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to unlawfully sponsor and stage a parallel Accord governorship primary, using hired individuals to foment confusion and undermine the democratic will of the people.
According to the group, credible intelligence suggests that some APC elements are planning to secure a questionable court injunction to give a semblance of legality to the alleged illegal exercise.
IMAV warned that such actions, if unchecked, pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic institutions and the integrity of the electoral process.
In a statement signed by the State Coordinator of the group, Mr. Hezekiah Oladele Bamiji, the Vanguard described the alleged plan as manifestly illegal, noting that it violates established electoral procedures.
The group stressed that no notice has been issued to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding any fresh primary election. It recalled that INEC had already discharged its constitutional responsibility by supervising the Accord governorship primary held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
IMAV maintained that any attempt to conduct another primary outside the INEC-approved framework amounts to a clear assault on the rule of law and an invitation to disorder.
The organisation therefore called on the Judiciary to remain vigilant and resist any effort to be drawn into actions capable of eroding public confidence in the justice system, warning that Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence must not be compromised by politically motivated manoeuvres.
The group also urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies to ensure that security institutions are not used as tools of political intimidation or destabilisation. It emphasized the need for professionalism, neutrality, and strict adherence to the law.
IMAV recalled that security agencies duly performed their statutory roles during the recently concluded Accord governorship primaries in Osun State and should maintain the same standard.
The Vanguard further expressed concern that the growing political acceptance and performance record of Governor Ademola oAdeleke may have unsettled the APC, allegedly prompting attempts to obstruct his constitutional right to participate in the democratic process.
It therefore called on the people of Osun State to remain calm, vigilant, and resolute in the face of what it described as anti-democratic plots, stressing that the collective will of the people must always prevail.
The group asserted that the alleged scheme may be driven by resentment over the outcome of the 2022 governorship election and the apparent determination of the electorate to consolidate that decision in 2026.
While noting that details of the alleged operation remain unclear, the Imole Accord Vanguard warned all those involved to desist from actions capable of threatening the peace, stability, and democratic order of Osun State.
“Osun State must not be turned into a testing ground for democratic subversion. The will of the people shall prevail,” the statement concluded.
