Accord Party Backs APC’s Oyebamiji at Big Rally

Chris Imumolen, the factional national chairman of the Accord Party, has announced that his group has withdrawn support for the party’s candidate in Osun State, Ademola Adeleke. This comes ahead of the governorship election set for August 15.

Imumolen, a professor, said his faction has chosen to endorse Bola Oyebamiji, the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He made this announcement on Thursday at a mega rally held in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State. The rally marked the end of campaign activities for the upcoming election.

“As the national chairman of Accord Party, today, members of my committee are all here. We have stepped down our support for Ademola Adeleke, and today we declare our support for Ambo,” he stated.

The factional chairman urged all Accord Party members in Osun State to vote for the APC candidate. “Come on Saturday, all Accord Party members in Osun State should go to the polling units to vote for Ambo,” he added.

It is important to note that Imumolen’s faction of the Accord Party is not recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). INEC recognizes the National Working Committee led by Maxwell Mgbudem.

INEC has cleared 16 candidates to contest in Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election. The APGA candidate, Adesina Adeyemi-Doro, has announced his withdrawal from the race to support the APC candidate. This leaves 15 candidates on the ballot. Despite his withdrawal, Adeyemi-Doro’s name will still appear on the ballot.

Francis Olugbenga, the candidate from the SDP, was added to the ballot on Wednesday.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which Adeleke previously belonged to, is not presenting any candidate due to a leadership crisis at the national level. Adeleke left the PDP for Accord last December.

In response to the faction's endorsement, President Bola Tinubu expressed confidence that the APC will win the election on Saturday. He was represented by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who congratulated the APC candidate.

He encouraged the people of Osun State to come out in large numbers to vote on Saturday, assuring them that the election will be peaceful. “What has happened here is enough to say congratulations to all of you. Nobody will surround you, nobody will intimidate you. Osun is going to have a very peaceful election. We are not violent,” he said.

The president also criticized Governor Adeleke's performance over the last four years. He stated that the governor should have achieved more during his time in office.

He urged Oyebamiji to start working on the state’s infrastructure as soon as he is sworn in. He emphasized that governance should be taken seriously and not just be about “social media paparazzi.”