The Independent National Electoral Commission in Osun State has disowned a governorship primary reportedly conducted by a faction of the Accord Party, insisting that it was neither notified nor present at the exercise.
A faction of the party was said to have held a primary election in Osogbo on Sunday, where Bamigbola Clement allegedly emerged as the governorship candidate for the August 8, 2026 election.
The exercise reportedly commenced with the accreditation of delegates, while a heavy presence of armed police operatives was observed around the venue.
Confirming his emergence, Clement said, “It is true. We had our primary, and I emerged the consensus candidate.”
However, the electoral umpire dismissed the claim. Speaking with journalists, INEC’s Public Relations Officer in Osun State, Musa Olurode, said the commission was only aware of one Accord Party primary held earlier in the week.
“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,” Olurode said.
INEC’s position followed the primary election conducted last Wednesday in Osogbo, where Governor Ademola Adeleke emerged as the Accord Party’s governorship candidate. Adeleke was the sole aspirant at the exercise.
Announcing the result, the Secretary of the party’s electoral committee, Abdulazeez Salaudeen, said Adeleke polled 145 votes out of 150 delegates drawn from the 30 local government areas of the state, while five votes were voided.
“The electoral committee has delivered on its mandate. After voting and counting witnessed by the agents of the candidate and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, having the highest number of votes, I declare Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the primary,” Salaudeen said.
Reacting to the factional primary, the caretaker Chairman of the Accord Party in Osun State, Babalola Akande, said the organisers of the exercise were not recognised by the party.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo, Akande reiterated that Adeleke remains the duly nominated and lawful governorship candidate of the Accord Party in the state.
“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 said.
He urged residents of the state to ignore what he described as distractions by individuals he accused of impersonation and political sabotage.
“We are hearing that the person being used for this purpose is a legal practitioner. That, to us, will make our job easy, as our party will stop at nothing but to report him to the appropriate authorities, including the LPDC,” Akande added.
He warned that any institution that accords recognition or protection to the faction would face legal consequences.
“For the final time, and for the sake of emphasis, by virtue of the valid primary election lawfully conducted on Wednesday, 10th December 2025, Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke is the sole and legally recognised governorship candidate of the Accord in Osun State,” he said.
