The Imole Campaign Council has rejected the endorsement of All Progressives Congress governorship candidate Bola Oyebamiji by Christopher Imumolen, insisting that the recognised leadership of the Accord Party remains committed to Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election.
The council reacted hours after Imumolen appeared at the APC mega rally in Osogbo on Thursday and announced his support for Oyebamiji ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
Imumolen, Accord’s 2023 presidential candidate, described himself as a factional national chairman of the party and said his faction had withdrawn its support for Adeleke.
He also directed Accord members in Osun State to vote for Oyebamiji, predicting that the APC candidate would be sworn in as governor after the election.
But the Adeleke campaign council dismissed the declaration, describing Imumolen as a factional figure who did not represent the official position of Accord.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the council said Maxwell Mgbudem remained the recognised national chairman of the party and was firmly behind Adeleke.
“To put the records straight, the officially recognised National Chairman of the Accord Party by the Independent National Electoral Commission is Barrister Maxwell Obinali Mgbudem, who is solidly behind Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election and continuity in Osun State,” the council said.
The council accused the APC of attempting to create confusion by presenting Imumolen as Accord’s national chairman at its campaign rally.
“The APC recruited one Christopher Imumolen who erroneously claimed he leads a faction of the Accord Party to endorse Oyebamiji,” it said.
It insisted that Mgbudem would not endorse the APC candidate and urged voters to disregard Imumolen’s declaration.
The development has exposed the continuing leadership dispute within Accord, with Imumolen and the Mgbudem-led leadership taking opposing positions on the party’s political direction.
Accord’s national leadership also rejected Imumolen’s endorsement on Thursday, saying he had been expelled and did not represent the party.
The party maintained that there was no faction within Accord and reaffirmed its support for Adeleke.
The dispute is particularly significant because Adeleke is contesting the Osun governorship election on the Accord platform, while Oyebamiji is the APC candidate.
The Independent National Electoral Commission currently lists Maxwell Mgbudem as Accord’s national chairman.
The commission has also scheduled the Osun governorship election for Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The Imole Campaign Council described the endorsement as an attempt by the opposition to create a misleading narrative ahead of the poll.
It urged Osun voters to disregard Imumolen’s declaration and maintained that Adeleke remained on course for re-election.
The council said the governor’s supporters were prepared to turn out in large numbers on Saturday.
The competing claims over Accord’s leadership have added another layer of intrigue to the final hours of campaigning, with both camps seeking to influence voters before the ballot opens.
