The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distanced itself from a factional governorship primary election reportedly conducted by a breakaway faction of the Accord Party in Osun State.
On Sunday, a faction of the Accord Party in Osun allegedly held a primary election in Osogbo, the state capital, which produced Bamigbola Clement as its candidate for the upcoming August 8, 2026 governorship election.
The event was attended by a significant security presence, with armed police officers stationed around the venue. Clement, the only aspirant at the exercise, confirmed his emergence as the consensus candidate, stating: “It is true. We had our primary, and I emerged the consensus candidate,” in an interview with The PUNCH.
However, Musa Olurode, the Public Relations Officer of INEC in Osun, clarified that the commission was unaware of this parallel primary. According to Olurode, “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.”
This factional primary came shortly after Governor Ademola Adeleke was confirmed as the Accord Party’s governorship candidate for next year’s election in another primary also held in Osogbo. Adeleke was the sole aspirant in that primary, which was held last Wednesday.
Adeleke Declared Winner of Official Primary
In the official Accord Party primary, Abdulazeez Salaudeen, the Secretary of the Electoral Committee, announced that Governor Ademola Adeleke received 145 votes out of 150 delegates from the state’s 30 local government areas, with five votes voided. Salaudeen emphasized that the process was conducted in accordance with the party’s internal procedures and witnessed by both party agents and INEC officials.
Party Leadership Reacts
In response to the factional primary, Babalola Akande, the Caretaker Chairman of Accord Party in Osun, reaffirmed that the individuals who organized the parallel primary were not recognized by the official party leadership. Akande also reiterated that Adeleke remains the legitimate and duly-nominated governorship candidate of the Accord Party in Osun State.
Akande asserted: “This position is incontestable, irreversible, and firmly grounded in law, having emerged through due process in accordance with the Constitution of the Accord, the Electoral Act 2022, and established judicial precedents.” He dismissed the factional primary as an attempt by “politically displaced actors” to disrupt the process.
He further cautioned Osun residents to disregard what he termed as “distractions” engineered by individuals who had been repeatedly rejected by the electorate and were now attempting to manipulate the political process. Akande also hinted that the faction’s actions would be reported to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) if necessary.
Legal Action and Party’s Stand
Akande made it clear that any institution or authority that recognizes or legitimizes the factional primary or its candidates would face legal consequences. The Accord Party vowed to take necessary legal steps to defend its constitutional rights, protect its internal democracy, and uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
For the final time, Akande emphasized that Governor Ademola Adeleke remains the sole and legally recognized governorship candidate for Accord Party in Osun, insisting that no parallel structures or fraudulent spectacles could change this legal reality.
