Reports emerged on Thursday that the Accord Party had stepped down its support for Osun State Governor and its governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, and endorsed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The claim followed the remarks by Christopher Imumolen, who described himself as the National Chairman of the Accord Party, at the APC’s grand finale campaign rally in Osogbo, the state capital.
In a video from the rally, Imumolen declared his support for Oyebamiji and urged members of the Accord Party in Osun State to vote for the APC candidate.
“As the national chairman of Accord Party, we have taken down our support for Ademola Adeleke and today, we declare our support for Ambo (Oyebamiji). Come on Saturday, all Accord members in Osun State should go to the polling units and vote for Ambo,” he said.
He also predicted that Oyebamiji would be sworn in as governor after the election.
The declaration was given further credence when the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the APC rally, referred to Imumolen as the national chairman of Accord.
“I understand that the Chairman of Accord Party has thrown in the towel and is now supporting the APC in the governorship election,” Akpabio said.
What does INEC say?
However, a check of the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shows that Imumolen is not recognised as the national chairman of the Accord Party.
INEC’s records identify Barrister Maxwell Mgbudem as the recognised National Chairman of the party.
This means Imumolen’s declaration at the APC rally cannot, based on the available INEC records, be regarded as an official endorsement by the Accord Party.
Similarly, Imumolen had also previously presented himself as a presidential candidate associated with a faction of the Accord Party ahead of the 2027 general election before announcing his withdrawal from the race and declaring support for President Bola Tinubu of the APC.
In contrast, available INEC records also did not list Imumolen among the presidential candidates whose personal particulars were published by the electoral commission in accordance with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The absence of an Accord presidential candidate among the candidates whose particulars were officially published further raises questions about Imumolen’s claim to represent the party in an official capacity.
Accord rejects endorsement
The Accord Party, through its recognised National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, subsequently disowned Imumolen’s declaration and rejected the claim that the party had endorsed Oyebamiji.
In a statement issued on Thursday night, Mgbudem said Imumolen’s appearance at the APC rally and his endorsement of the APC candidate demonstrated that he was no longer a member of Accord and did not represent the party.
“That Imumolen attended the APC rally in Osogbo where he backed its candidate is a glaring testament that he is not a member of Accord and does not represent the party in any capacity,” Mgbudem said.
The party also rejected the description of Imumolen as a “factional chairman”, insisting that there was no faction within Accord.
It described him as a “political hireling and hustler” and said he lacked the political structure or electoral influence to affect the outcome of the Osun election.
“The purported appellation, ‘factional chairman’ of Accord is not only mischievous, it is a delusion of the grandeur that exists in his fertile imagination, as the party has no faction. Imumolen has no electoral value to influence any election in the country,” the statement added.
Accord backs Adeleke
Rather than backing the APC candidate, the recognised leadership of Accord reaffirmed its support for Adeleke, expressing confidence that the governor would win Saturday’s election on the party’s platform.
“Osun State is an Accord stronghold; the people are in one accord with Governor Ademola Adeleke and will overwhelmingly vote for the party on Saturday, August 15,” the party said.
Accord also accused the APC of resorting to alleged violence, harassment and intimidation in an attempt to gain an advantage ahead of the election.
The party further alleged that federal institutions, including the police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, were being used to pressure the Osun government, residents and Accord members.
It called on INEC to remain neutral and conduct a credible election, while urging security agencies to discharge their responsibilities professionally and impartially.
The party also appealed to the international community, including the European Union, African Union, ECOWAS, the United States and the United Kingdom, to monitor the election and sanction individuals found to have compromised the electoral process.
Accord said its confidence in Adeleke’s victory was based on what it described as his achievements and transformational leadership in the state.
“Let the Osun State governorship election set a new national standard in the conduct of elections in Nigeria,” the party said.
Verdict
The claim that Christopher Imumolen’s declaration represents an official endorsement by the Accord Party is misleading. The national chairman of Accord Party is Maxwell Mgbudem, who has affirmed the party’s support for Adeleke.
