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

Christopher Imumolen, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Accord Party

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the 2023 presidential candidate of the Accord Party who describes himself as a factional national chairman, has withdrawn his support for Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and declared his backing for Bola Oyebamiji, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate,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 Imumolen had also withdrawn from the 2027 presidential race last week and announced his support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election, saying his decision was driven by the need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.

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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.