The national leadership of the Accord Party has accused opposition elements in Osun State of sponsoring a “charade” aimed at hijacking the party ahead of the 2026 governorship election, following a disputed parallel primary held in the state.
In a statement issued on Monday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Joseph Omorogbe, described the exercise as illegal and unauthorised, saying it was staged by “fun-seeking fellows making a mockery of the nation’s democracy.”
Omorogbe claimed the parallel primary was orchestrated by opposition figures who were “jittery” about Governor Ademola Adeleke’s emergence as the party’s flag bearer. He added that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had promptly disowned the exercise.
“The sham those political hirelings staged to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public has been swiftly disowned by INEC as null, void, and of no effect in the upcoming gubernatorial election in the state,” Omorogbe said.
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He described Governor Adeleke as focused on governance rather than political intrigues, noting that he remained committed to delivering dividends of democracy to the people of Osun State. Omorogbe urged party members and supporters to “remain in one accord for unity, stability, security, and prosperity.”
The statement followed a parallel primary reportedly conducted on Sunday in Osogbo, the state capital, which produced Bamigbola Clement as the candidate for the August 8, 2026, governorship election. The exercise allegedly involved delegate accreditation and the presence of armed police officers.
Bamigbola confirmed his emergence as the consensus candidate. However, INEC, through its Osun State Public Relations Officer, Musa Olurode, said the commission was only aware of one Accord Party primary, which was held last Wednesday and produced Governor Adeleke as the unopposed candidate.