Fresh Crisis hit the Accord Party following the defection of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and his cousin, music star David Adeleke, known as Davido. The development unfolded within the party at the national level after Adeleke joined Accord on December 10, 2025, emerged as its governorship candidate in Osun State, and Davido publicly announced his entry into the party days later.
The move, which took place in Nigeria, has reopened an old struggle over control of the party, with different groups laying claim to its leadership. At least three factions are now asserting authority at the national level, while disagreeing over whether Adeleke followed the party’s rules before joining and securing the governorship ticket.
Former presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Chris Imumolen, insists he remains the national chairman and argues that Adeleke’s entry did not follow the party’s laid-down procedures. He maintains that the party already had a governorship candidate in Osun State before Adeleke’s arrival and claims that rival groups are acting with support from compromised officials.
Another layer of the dispute came from Rev. Isaac Adeniyi, a former Board of Trustees member who describes himself as the party’s national coordinator. He rejected Imumolen’s position and distanced the party from his statements, saying they do not reflect the party’s stance.
Meanwhile, records on the Independent National Electoral Commission website list Maxwell Mgbudem as the national chairman of the Accord Party. Speaking on the issue, Mgbudem dismissed the claims of Imumolen and Adeniyi, stating that both men had been suspended and no longer had the right to speak for the party. He said Adeleke and Davido were properly received into the party and described their entry as a boost ahead of the Osun governorship election.
Mgbudem explained that the party conducted its primary election in line with the rules, with electoral officials present, and that Adeleke was granted a waiver by the party’s leadership to contest. He also rejected claims of court backing for rival leaders, saying such orders were wrongly obtained.
Efforts to hear directly from Adeniyi were unsuccessful, though a source close to him said he chose to remain silent because of a pending appeal case. The source added that his role predates the current dispute and that resistance to Adeleke’s defection may be driven by fears of losing influence within the party.
As events continue to unfold, the defection of the Osun governor and the popular musician has not only reshaped the party’s political outlook in the state but has also intensified the internal battle over who controls the Accord Party at the national level.