By John Dike, Osogbo
Accord in Osun State has disowned what the party called an illegal and fraudulent governorship primary allegedly conducted in the name of the party, declaring that those behind the exercise are impersonators acting in violation of the law.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Osogbo on Sunday, Accord State Chairman, Pastor Babalola Akande, said the party did not conduct any parallel governorship congress or primary outside its recognised structures.
He described the purported primary as a “political charade” and an act of electoral sabotage allegedly orchestrated by individuals he said were not members of Accord but proxies of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He specifically named Mr. Fanibe and Clement Bamgbola as impostors, stating that Fanibe had been expelled from the party since 2018 for alleged fraud and other activities inimical to the unity and discipline of Accord.
“Such individuals possess no moral, political, or legal authority to convene, announce, or participate in any activity conducted in the name of the Accord,” Akande said.
The Accord chairman reaffirmed that Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, is the duly nominated and legally recognised governorship candidate of the party for the 2026 election, having emerged through a valid primary election held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
According to him, Adeleke’s candidacy is firmly grounded in the Constitution of Accord, the Electoral Act 2022, and relevant judicial precedents, making it incontestable and irreversible.
He urged the people of Osun State and the general public to disregard what he described as distractions by “politically displaced actors” who, he claimed, had been rejected by the electorate and were now resorting to impersonation and misinformation.
He further warned that any governorship primary or congress conducted in the name of Accord without proper notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is illegal, null, and void.
The party also placed INEC, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies on notice, stating that any gathering or activity conducted under Accord’s name outside its officially recognised party structure amounts to an illegal assembly.
Akande expressed concern over the conduct of the Osun State Police Command, alleging that the command declined to receive a formal notice alerting security agencies to the illegality of the gathering, but later provided security for the disputed exercise.
He said the party would not hesitate to seek judicial redress and pursue disciplinary action against any individual, including legal practitioners, found to be involved in impersonation or electoral fraud.
“The Accord remains united, vigilant, and committed to lawful and constitutional processes as we work with the people of Osun State toward a renewed mandate for Governor Ademola Adeleke,” Akande stated.
It will be recalled that last Wednesday, the Accord Party, led by its National Chairman, Mr. Maxwell Mgbudem, conducted a governorship primary election in which Governor Ademola Adeleke emerged as the party’s candidate.
The party maintained that any other purported primary is null, void, and of no effect.
