Osun Governorship: Accord Party Faction Withdraws Support for Adeleke, Endorses APC’s Oyebamiji

Christopher Imumolen, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Accord Party who describes himself as a factional national chairman, has withdrawn his support for Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and declared his backing for Bola Oyebamiji, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, just two days before Saturday’s crucial election.

Imumolen made the declaration on Thursday at the grand finale of the APC governorship campaign rally in Osogbo, the state capital. He claimed that his faction’s National Working Committee had resolved to step down support for Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the Accord platform, and urged all Accord members in Osun State to vote for Oyebamiji, popularly known as “AMBO”. “As the national chairman of the Accord Party, with my working committee, who are all here, we have stepped down our support for Ademola Adeleke, and today we declare our support for AMBO,” Imumolen said at the rally. “Come on Saturday, all Accord members in Osun State should go to the polling units and vote for AMBO”. The endorsement came just a day after the Accord Party suspended its planned mega rally for Wednesday, August 12, citing internal crisis and inability to mobilise members across the state. Imumolen had also withdrawn from the 2027 presidential race last week and announced his support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election, saying his decision was driven by the need to prioritise national unity, stability and continued development over his personal political ambition.

However, the endorsement is complicated by an ongoing leadership dispute within the Accord Party. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially recognises Maxwell Mgbudem as the party’s national chairman, and Mgbudem has firmly backed Adeleke’s re-election bid. The Accord Party has dismissed Imumolen’s declaration, describing him as a “political hireling and hustler” with no political structure capable of influencing the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election. In a statement, Mgbudem said Imumolen’s appearance at the APC rally in Osogbo showed he was no longer a member of Accord, adding that “there is no faction” within 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 such an appellation was “not only mischievous, it is a delusion of the grandeur that exists in his fertile imagination”. “Imumolen has no electoral value to influence any election in the country,” the statement added.

READ ALSO:

• Court Throws Out Trump-Era Case Accusing Harvard of Failing Jewish Students
• Osun Election Tension: Lawyer Urges Davido to Apologise to Okpebholo Over WAEC Result Troll
• Customs Busts International Lion Cub Smuggling Ring, Rescues Two Cubs at Abuja Airport

The Adeleke campaign council quickly dismissed Imumolen’s declaration, describing him as a “fake entity” and “impersonator” whose endorsement does not represent the party’s official position. In a statement, the Imole Campaign Council insisted that Mgbudem “is solidly behind Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election and continuity in Osun State”. The campaign council described the APC rally as an attempt to create a misleading impression ahead of the election, accusing the opposition of “recruiting a fake entity” to promote false narratives.

At the APC rally, the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, said the APC was “on the verge of victory” and urged Osun residents to join the 31 states already governed by the party. “Vote AMBO, vote prosperity, vote Osun for the state to be prosperous. We 31 state governors are in the state in solidarity and to welcome the state to the fold of the progressives,” Uzodinma said. Oyebamiji, a former Osun State Commissioner for Finance and former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), pledged to run a people-oriented administration focused on improving residents’ welfare and delivering tangible democracy dividends. “Our government that will be elected on August 15, 2026, will be a government of the people, and we will stand on your mandate,” he said. “No dance anymore, but strict governance”. Also present at the rally, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and APC leader in Osun State, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, urged voters to support Oyebamiji, describing him as “tested and trusted” with a track record that distinguished him from other candidates.

The Osun State governorship election is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026, with 15 candidates now cleared by INEC to contest, following the addition of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Dr Francis Olugbenga Ajala, after a court order. Over 2.3 million registered voters are expected to participate across 3,763 polling units and 332 wards. The main battle is expected to revolve around Adeleke, Oyebamiji, and African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly. Salaam, who holds a doctorate in political science, has also promised to deploy smart surveillance technology and establish a N1 billion women enterprise fund if elected. INEC has listed Mgbudem as the Accord Party’s recognised national chairman, lending official weight to the party’s continued support for Adeleke. The Accord Party has expressed confidence of victory, describing Osun as an “Accord stronghold” and urging INEC and security agencies to remain neutral and professional. The party further alleged that the APC, fearing electoral defeat, had resorted to what it described as violence, harassment and intimidation, as well as the use of federal institutions including the police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to suppress the Osun government and Accord members. Accord called on the international community, including the European Union, African Union, ECOWAS, the United States and the United Kingdom, to monitor the election.

Osun Governorship: Accord Party Faction Withdraws Support for Adeleke, Endorses APC’s Oyebamiji

Osun Election Tension: Lawyer Urges Davido to Apologise to Okpebholo Over WAEC Result Troll

A legal practitioner and author, Timothy Tugbiyele, has called on Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, to tender a public apology to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over a social media post that displayed the governor’s alleged West African Examinations Council (WAEC) result. Tugbiyele made the call in a now-trending video originally uploaded on Facebook on Monday while commenting on the ongoing political exchanges ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election. The controversy has added another layer of tension to an already heated political season, with supporters of both governors trading barbs on social media platforms.

The controversy began when Okpebholo, while campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, mocked Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke—Davido’s uncle—over his well-known love for dancing. The Edo governor said, “Before somebody signs paper, he will dance. Are you not tired? For four years, this man has been dancing. Before he takes breakfast, before he drinks tea, he will dance.” Hours after the governor’s remarks, Davido responded on his verified social media platform by posting what he described as Governor Okpebholo’s WAEC result alongside the governor’s photograph. The document circulating online contained several low grades, including D7 and E8 in some subjects, though its authenticity has not been independently verified, and there has been no official confirmation from WAEC or Governor Okpebholo regarding the certificate. The alleged examination result ignited intense reactions across social media, with many users mocking the governor over the purported grades, while others challenged Davido to also publish Governor Adeleke’s academic credentials if he was genuinely interested in public accountability. One X user, @seguntoogun, wrote: “Davido should post his uncle Ademola Adeleke’s WAEC result too, make we compare.”

READ ALSO:

• Customs Busts International Lion Cub Smuggling Ring, Rescues Two Cubs at Abuja Airport
• Seven Miners Killed in Plateau Mining Pit Collapse, Renewing Urgent Calls for Safety Reform
• State Police Bill: Public Submissions Close Today as Nigeria Nears Historic Policing Reform

Reacting to the development, Tugbiyele said Davido should not have responded personally to the governor’s remarks, explaining that he watched a video when Governor Okpebholo called the governor of his state, Adeleke, the dancing governor, and the governor’s relation, David Adeleke, replied by publishing the WAEC Secondary School leaving result of Governor Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State. According to the lawyer, although Okpebholo’s alleged result may not have been impressive, it should not have been used to ridicule him, noting that the result is not good enough, but it is possible that the governor did a resit, and they were not aware of that. He maintained that Davido’s publication was inappropriate and crossed a line that should not have been crossed in political discourse. Tugbiyele argued that Governor Adeleke could have responded to his Edo counterpart through official channels instead of allowing Davido to engage him directly, stating that Governor Adeleke would have replied his contemporary governor, or caused one of his workers, maybe a commissioner of information or a special assistant, to reply, not Davido.

The lawyer also stressed that Davido and Okpebholo occupy different positions and should therefore not engage each other on the same level, insisting that David Adeleke and the governor of the state are not in the same social class, not of the same status, and not in the same class. Describing Davido’s post as disrespectful, Tugbiyele appealed to the singer to apologise, saying he thinks what Davido did is disrespectful and he will plead with him to exercise some humility and apologise. He recalled seeing photographs of Davido prostrating before elders, describing him as a well-brought-up Yoruba man who should demonstrate humility and respect for elders, having seen his pictures in time past prostrating, and noting that he is a properly well-brought-up Yoruba boy. Tugbiyele rejected the argument that the exchange should simply be viewed as part of normal political rivalry, stating that he has heard it said by one of the political leaders that everything is fair in politics, but when you are fighting below the belt, when you are insulting, when you disrespect elders, that is not fair in politics. He urged older people and Davido’s elders to caution the singer, adding that political disagreements should not become personal attacks, and emphasised that one does not disrespect elders. He added that Okpebholo should apologise to the governor, noting that he is not saying what Okpebholo did was right to disrespect his uncle, but it should not be an eye for an eye.

The lawyer further argued that poor academic performance at one stage of a person’s life should not be used to define their achievements, drawing from his own experience to illustrate his point. He shared that he had also obtained results that were not good enough but was encouraged by his father, who never called him a dullard and continued to encourage him. He added that Governor Okpebholo had a result that was not good enough but is governor today, and all of that bad result is in the past, concluding that politics does not really have to go to that extent. The controversy comes amid heightened political activity in Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, with Davido openly supporting Adeleke’s bid for a second term and actively campaigning for his uncle, urging voters to reject violence and intimidation, while also calling on President Bola Tinubu to ensure a free and fair election. The political exchange has also drawn in Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, who predicted Adeleke’s defeat and urged Davido to prepare to sign his uncle as a full-time dancer. Tugbiyele concluded by directly appealing to the singer: “Davido, David Adeleke, please, as a proper Yoruba, please apologise to Governor Okpebholo. God bless you, David. God bless Nigeria.”

Osun Election Tension: Lawyer Urges Davido to Apologise to Okpebholo Over WAEC Result Troll

Osun poll: APC big guns storm Osogbo as police warn against inflammatory rhetoric

OSOGBO: Tension and political activity intensified in Osun State on Wednesday as Senate President Godswill Akpabio, APC National Chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda and more than 10 governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) converged on Osogbo for the party’s mega rally, even as the police issued a stern warning against inflammatory comments capable of triggering violence ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

The high-powered APC mobilisation also attracted the attention of Nigerian Afrobeats star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, who reacted to the arrival of the party’s heavyweights in the state capital.

Akpabio, Yilwatda and the APC governors were among prominent party leaders who stormed Osogbo to rally support for the party ahead of the keenly contested election.

Their arrival came against the backdrop of heightened political activities and growing concerns over possible tension in the final hours of the campaign.

The concerns prompted the Osun State Police Commissioner for Election, CP Samuel Etaifo, to warn politicians, candidates and their supporters against statements or actions capable of inflaming the political atmosphere.

READ ALSO:

• INEC reprints Osun ballot papers, result sheets, includes SDP candidate 
• FG to Attach 300 NYSC Corps Members to CNG Workshops for Skills Training
• Iran Had Detailed Intel on Trump’s Location Before Secret Turkey Escape

Etaifo’s warning followed an invitation extended to the Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, over alleged inciteful comments against members of the Accord Party in Ilesa on Tuesday.

In a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, the police commissioner urged political leaders and public office holders to exercise restraint at what he described as a critical period of the electoral process.

“At this critical period of the electoral process, political leaders and public office holders are expected to exercise restraint, promote peace, and refrain from making comments capable of heightening tension or undermining public confidence in the electoral and security arrangements put in place for the forthcoming election,” Etaifo said.

He warned that the police would not tolerate any act, utterance or conduct capable of inciting violence, disrupting public peace or threatening the security of the state.

According to him, the invitation extended to Fadahunsi was intended to obtain clarification on the alleged statement and promote mutual understanding in the interest of peace and security.

“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police has invited Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi to provide clarification on the statement and to foster mutual understanding in the interest of peace and security,” Ojelabi quoted the CP as saying.

Etaifo stressed that the invitation should not be misconstrued as intimidation, but as part of proactive measures to prevent the escalation of tensions and ensure a peaceful, free, fair and credible election.

He also reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to neutrality, professionalism and the protection of democratic values throughout the electoral process.

The commissioner called on all political actors, their supporters and residents to remain law-abiding, avoid inflammatory rhetoric and pursue grievances through lawful channels.

The developments come just days before Saturday’s election, with political parties intensifying their final mobilisation efforts and security agencies stepping up measures to prevent violence before, during and after the poll.

Osun poll: APC big guns storm Osogbo as police warn against inflammatory rhetoric