The factional National Chairman of the Accord Party and former presidential aspirant, Christopher Imumolen, has dismissed the nomination of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 Osun State election, describing the process as unlawful.
Imumolen insisted that Clement Kolawole remains the authentic candidate of the party, having emerged from what he described as a properly conducted primary election held under his leadership.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Imumolen argued that Adeleke’s purported nomination had no connection with the recognised leadership structure of the Accord Party.
“Governor Adeleke emerged through a process that is neither recognised nor lawful,” he said. “The group that claims to have admitted him into the party does not represent the leadership currently in charge of Accord.”
He explained that, in a bid to protect the party from future legal disputes, the Accord Party conducted a valid governorship primary that produced Kolawole as its flagbearer in Osun State.
“Our priority was to ensure that Accord fields a candidate whose victory would not be threatened by legal challenges,” Imumolen stated. “That responsibility led us to conduct a credible primary election and present Clement Kolawole as our candidate to the people of Osun State.”
Imumolen traced the leadership dispute within the party to its national convention held in July last year, where he contested the position of National Chairman against a rival from what he described as the Maxwell faction.
According to him, he won the contest convincingly, securing the support of over 500 delegates, but alleged that the opposing group continued to lay claim to the party’s caretaker structure despite their defeat.
“At the time, there were two factions, and I did not want Accord to be perceived as an unserious party,” he said. “So we approached the court quietly to seek clarity.”
He explained that the legal action was taken not out of doubt over his leadership but to formally establish legitimacy within the party.
Imumolen disclosed that the court eventually directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise him as the National Chairman of the Accord Party.
He further revealed that when Adeleke indicated interest in joining the party, efforts were made to brief him on the internal leadership issues. However, those efforts failed, and Adeleke proceeded to engage with the rival faction.
Imumolen maintained that, based on the court’s ruling and the conduct of a valid primary election, Clement Kolawole remains the lawful governorship candidate of the Accord Party in Osun State.
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