Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has downplayed concerns over a recent Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of several political parties, including the Accord Party, insisting that the ruling will not affect his participation in the 2026 governorship election.
Speaking with journalists at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Oke-Fia, Osogbo, Governor Adeleke described the court decision as a violation of existing judicial processes and an affront to the authority of the Court of Appeal.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties — the Accord Party (AP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Reacting to the ruling, Adeleke maintained that legal steps had already been initiated to challenge the judgment, arguing that the matter was already before the Court of Appeal, which had previously stayed proceedings until October.
“Our lawyers have taken the necessary steps to right the wrong. It is on record that the Court of Appeal has stayed proceedings in the matter until October. We are therefore surprised that the lower court proceeded to act on a matter already addressed by the higher court,” the governor stated.
Adeleke further assured supporters and members of the Accord Party that the judgment would not stand, expressing confidence that the party would remain on the ballot for the forthcoming election.
He urged party faithful to remain calm and focused, insisting that the legal issues surrounding the matter would be resolved in accordance with due process.
“The judgment cannot stand. Accord will be on the ballot, we will be on the ballot, and we will win resoundingly on August 15. We will not be distracted. We remain focused on winning,” he declared.
The development has added another layer of political tension ahead of the Osun State governorship election, with stakeholders closely monitoring the legal battle and its potential implications for the electoral process.
As legal proceedings continue, attention will remain on the courts and electoral authorities to determine the final status of the affected political parties before the election.
