Chris Imumolen, factional national chairman of the Accord Party, has said the faction’s National Working Committee (NWC) has withdrawn its support for the party’s candidate in Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, ahead of the 15 August governorship election.
Mr Imumolen, a professor, said his faction had instead endorsed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji.
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He disclosed this on Thursday during the APC mega rally held in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, to mark the end of campaign activities for the governorship 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 said.
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The factional chairman subsequently directed members of the party 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.
Mr Inumolen’s faction of the Accord Party is not recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The commission recognises the NWC led by Maxwell Mgbudem.
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INEC cleared 16 candidates to contest Saturday’s off-cycle governorship poll. However, the APGA candidate, Adesina Adeyemi-Doro, announced he was withdrawing from the race to support the APC candidate, leaving 15 others on the ballot. Mr Adeyemi-Doro’s name will still be on the ballot despite his withdrawal.
The SDP candidate, Francis Olugbenga, was added to the ballot on Wednesday.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Adeleke’s former party, which ruled the state under former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and on which platform Mr Adeleke was elected in 2022, is not fielding any candidate due to a leadership crisis at the national level. The governor dumped the party for Accord last December
Tinubu congratulates APC candidate ahead of election
Responding to the factional endorsement, President Bola Tinubu said he was confident that the APC would emerge victorious in Saturday’s election.
Mr Tinubu, represented by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, congratulated the APC candidate.
He urged residents of the state to come out en masse to vote on Saturday, assuring them that the election would 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 criticised the performance of Governor Adeleke over the past four years, stating that the governor should have achieved more during his tenure.
He urged Mr Oyebamiji to begin developing the state’s infrastructure immediately after his swearing-in, stressing that governance should be taken seriously rather than reduced to “social media paparazzi.”
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