The Independent National Electoral Commission in Osun State on Sunday said it did not receive notice of a governorship primary election reportedly organised by a faction of the Accord Party in the state. The commission stated that it only monitored one duly organised primary conducted earlier by the party.
CLICK THE LINK TO READ FULL LIST
- Advertisement -
The factional group was said to have held its primary in Osogbo, where delegates were accredited and Bamigbola Clement was announced as the candidate for the August 8, 2026, governorship election. Security presence, including armed police officers, was observed at the venue. Clement later confirmed that he emerged as the sole aspirant presented to delegates at the exercise.
Sponsored Ads
Reacting to the development, INEC’s Public Relations Officer in the state, Musa Olurode, said the commission was unaware of any parallel primary. He explained that INEC only monitored the officially recognised Accord Party primary held a few days earlier and that its report had already been submitted.
Related News
- Advertisement -
The recognised primary, conducted last Wednesday in Osogbo, produced Governor Ademola Adeleke as the Accord Party candidate for the 2026 governorship election. Adeleke was the only aspirant in the exercise and secured 145 votes out of 150 accredited delegates drawn from the state’s 30 local government areas, while five votes were declared invalid.
The caretaker Chairman of the Accord Party in Osun State, Babalola Akande, also dismissed the factional primary, stating that those behind it were not known to the party. He said Adeleke remains the lawful and duly nominated candidate of the Accord Party in the state, having emerged through the party’s approved process.
Akande warned against recognising the factional exercise, adding that the party would take legal steps to protect its internal processes and nomination. He urged members of the public to disregard the parallel primary, insisting that the party has only one valid governorship candidate for the 2026 election in Osun State.
Comments are closed.