Setback for Adeleke second term bid, Accord Party faction names Bamigbola 2026 gov candidate 

The internal crisis rocking the Accord Party in Osun State deepened on Sunday as a rival faction of the party conducted a parallel governorship primary that produced Mr. Clement Bamigbola as its candidate for the 2026 governorship election.

The development came barely four days after Governor Ademola Adeleke was announced as the Accord Party’s governorship candidate following a primary election organised by a faction loyal to the party’s national leadership under Barrister Maxwell Mgbudem.

That earlier exercise, held on Wednesday, had thrown up Adeleke as the party’s flagbearer, a move that immediately sparked controversy within the party.

A dissenting faction rejected the process, insisting that Mgbudem is not the legally recognised National Chairman of Accord and therefore lacks the authority to conduct a valid primary election.

In a counter move on Sunday, the aggrieved faction organised its own governorship primary in Osogbo, the state capital. The exercise, which took place at Regina Suites, was attended by about 300 delegates drawn from across the 30 local government areas of the state.

At the end of the exercise, Bamigbola emerged as the faction’s governorship candidate through a voice vote conducted by the delegates and supervised by the faction’s electoral committee. He was subsequently declared winner by the committee, which described the process as transparent and in line with the party’s constitution.

The faction maintained that its primary was the only legitimate exercise recognised by its leadership structure, reiterating that the process which produced Adeleke was invalid due to alleged leadership irregularities at the national level.

The parallel primaries have further exposed the deepening schism within the Accord Party in Osun State, raising fresh questions about which faction the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will eventually recognise ahead of the 2026 governorship election.

Political observers note that unless the crisis is urgently resolved through reconciliation or legal clarification, the party risks being shut out of the race or weakened by prolonged internal disputes at a time when preparations for the Osun governorship contest are gathering momentum.

2027 Presidency: APC Unveils South, North-Central Strategy to Secure Tinubu’s Re-election

Fresh details have emerged on the All Progressives Congress (APC) strategy to secure bloc votes from the South and North-Central ahead of the 2027 presidential election, as the ruling party moves to strengthen President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid amid growing opposition in parts of the North.

Sources at the APC national secretariat disclosed that the plan, described by a senior party official as a “materialising countermeasure,” was initiated more than five months ago following intelligence reports of rising discontent in the core North and the emergence of an opposition coalition reportedly led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Party insiders said the initiative is being driven by key figures including Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, APC Governors’ Forum Chairman Hope Uzodimma, APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru, and Ikeja Federal Constituency lawmaker James Faleke.

In recent months, northern socio-political groups such as the Northern Elders Forum and the Arewa Consultative Forum have openly criticised Tinubu’s administration, citing alleged marginalisation in political appointments, project distribution, and responses to insecurity. Prominent northern politicians, including Nasir El-Rufai, Abubakar Malami, and allies of former President Muhammadu Buhari, have also been linked to growing resistance against Tinubu’s second-term ambition.

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According to INEC 2023 election data, Tinubu polled 8.79 million votes nationwide, with over 5.3 million votes from the North, underscoring the region’s electoral significance.

Amid the northern pushback, the APC has intensified efforts to consolidate control of the South, aiming to ensure that no southern state falls to the opposition in 2027. Party sources said the strategy involves targeted alliances, elite engagement, and the use of federal influence, pointing to recent defections of PDP governors as evidence of progress.

“The goal is to deliver the entire South. Once we do that, we are already 50 per cent on the path to victory,” a party official said, adding that only Abia and Oyo remain outside APC control in the region.

The ruling party is also targeting the North-Central, where Plateau, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory were lost in 2023 to Labour Party candidate Peter Obi. A senior APC source said the region is being positioned as a decisive battleground to neutralise opposition votes from the North-East and North-West.

Confirming the move, Chairman of the North-Central APC Forum, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, said party leaders were working closely with the Presidency and the APC national leadership to secure between 80 and 90 per cent of the region’s votes for Tinubu.

However, opposition parties including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) dismissed the strategy as unrealistic, accusing the APC of self-deception, governance failures and attempts to weaken democratic competition ahead of the 2027 elections.

2027 Presidency: APC Unveils South, North-Central Strategy to Secure Tinubu’s Re-election

Osun 2026 APC Governorship Primary: Seven Aspirants Withdraw, Endorse Oyebamiji

The race for the Osun 2026 APC governorship ticket has taken a major turn as seven aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have withdrawn from the primary election and endorsed Bola Oyebamiji as the consensus candidate.

President Bola Tinubu meet with APC Governorship Primary aspirants in Aso Villa

The decision followed a strategic meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, where party unity and the need to avoid a divided primary dominated discussions. After the engagement, the aspirants agreed to back Oyebamiji to strengthen the party’s chances ahead of the 2026 Osun governorship election.

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Those who stepped down include former Deputy Governor Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, Dotun Babayemi, Akin Ogunbiyi, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Adegoke (SAN), Babatunde Haketer Oralusi, and Mulikat Abiola Jimoh. Their withdrawal comes amid heightened calls from senior APC stakeholders urging a united front to prevent internal crises.

However, the absence of former APC National Secretary Iyiola Omisore at the meeting raised further questions. Omisore, recently disqualified from the primary — a decision he dismissed as “a joke” — has been at the centre of growing tensions within the party.

Party insiders say the endorsement of a consensus candidate is intended to streamline preparations, reduce litigation risks, and project stability as the APC positions itself to reclaim Osun State.

Osun 2026 APC Governorship Primary: Seven Aspirants Withdraw, Endorse Oyebamiji