The crisis rocking the Accord Party in Osun State escalated on Sunday after a faction of the party’s leadership held a parallel primary election, producing Mr. Clement Bamigbola as its governorship candidate for the 2026 election.

The development comes barely 96 hours after the incumbent Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, emerged as the party’s flagbearer in a primary organized by the national leadership.

It was gathered that 300 delegates from across the state convened at Regina Suites in Osogbo for the parallel exercise. 

Bamigbola, a former Senatorial candidate for OsunCentral, emerged through a voice vote and was declared the winner by the Chairman of the factional Primary Committee, Hon. Olufemi Ogundare.

Ogundare, alongside other party leaders, subsequently presented the party’s flag to Bamigbola, charging him to lead the party to victory.

The faction has rejected the earlier primary that produced Governor Adeleke, arguing that it was conducted by Barrister Maxwell Ngbudem, whom they claim is not the legally recognized National Chairman of the party.

They contend that Ngbudem’s reported suspension renders any process he oversaw invalid.

Reacting to the development, the Osun State Chairman of the recognized Accord Party leadership, Pastor Victor Akande, described the parallel primary as a charade designed to cause confusion. 

In a statement, Akande accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring the faction to destabilize the Accord Party, citing fears of Governor Adeleke’s growing popularity following his adoption of the party’s ticket.

“The APC is sponsoring one of its members to pose as an Accord Party aspirant in order to create crisis within our party,” Akande alleged, calling on security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disregard the factional exercise.

However, the APC has swiftly denied the allegations. The party’s Director of Media in OsunState, Chief Kola Olabisi, stated that the APC had no hand in the internal affairs of other political parties.

“We have conducted our own primary and produced our candidate. We are not concerned with the affairs of other parties,” Olabisi said.