A faction of the Accord Party in Osun State on Sunday conducted a parallel governorship primary, producing Bamigbola Clement as its candidate for the August 2026 election, in a direct challenge to the candidacy of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The exercise, held in Osogbo, saw Clement emerge as the consensus candidate. “It is true. We had our primary, and I emerged the consensus candidate,” he confirmed to The PUNCH.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state has stated it was not informed of this second exercise. The commission’s Public Relations Officer, Musa Olurode, said, “We have monitored the only Accord Party primary a few days ago. The report has been submitted. INEC is not aware of any other party’s primary.”
The primary referenced by INEC was held last Wednesday, December 10, where Governor Ademola Adeleke emerged as the party’s candidate after polling 145 votes from 150 delegates.
Reacting to the factional primary, the state’s caretaker Chairman of the Accord Party, Babalola Akande, dismissed the exercise and its organisers. Addressing journalists in Osogbo, Akande asserted that Governor Adeleke remains the party’s “duly nominated and lawful governorship candidate.”
“This position is incontestable, irreversible, and firmly grounded in law,” Akande stated, describing the parallel event as the handiwork of “politically displaced actors” resorting to “impersonation, falsehood, and institutional sabotage.”
He issued a strong warning that the party would pursue legal action against anyone, including institutions, that accord legitimacy to the factional group.
