The Accord Party has rejected the endorsement of All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Bola Oyebamiji by its former presidential candidate, Chris Imumolen, describing the move as a personal decision that does not reflect the position of the party.
The party’s National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, made the clarification in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, following Imumolen’s appearance at an APC campaign rally in Osogbo where he expressed support for Oyebamiji ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
Mgbudem said Imumolen no longer represented the official position of Accord and stressed that the party remained united under a single leadership recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He dismissed claims of factionalism within the party, describing references to a “factional chairman” as baseless and insisting that Accord had no parallel leadership structure.
According to him, Imumolen’s participation in the APC rally was therefore an individual political choice and should not be interpreted as an endorsement by Accord.
Mgbudem further alleged that Imumolen lacked the political structure required to influence the outcome of the election, accusing him of pursuing personal interests.
He maintained that Accord remained firmly positioned in Osun State and expressed confidence that its supporters would back Governor Ademola Adeleke in the election.
“The people of Osun remain resolute in their support for Accord and Governor Ademola Adeleke. Osun remains a stronghold of the party, and we are confident of overwhelming support at the polls,” he said.
The Accord chairman urged INEC to ensure that the election was conducted transparently and without favouritism, while calling on security agencies to maintain professionalism and impartiality throughout the exercise.
He also appealed to international observers and other stakeholders to closely monitor the election and ensure that any attempt to undermine the democratic process was appropriately sanctioned.
Mgbudem said the Osun governorship election should provide an opportunity for Nigeria to demonstrate its commitment to credible, peaceful and transparent elections.
“Let the Osun State governorship election set a new national standard in the conduct of elections in Nigeria,” he said.
