The crisis rocking the Accord Party deepened on Sunday as the faction led by Prof. Chris Imumolen declared that the party has no legitimate governorship candidate in Oyo State.
The faction rejected both Dr Oriyomi Hamzat and Hon Olakunle Busari, popularly known as Gudugudu, as candidates for the 2027 Oyo governorship election.
The party’s National Secretary, Abdullahi Muktar, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Muktar said the parallel processes that produced the two candidates had been rejected and nullified by the Imumolen-led faction.
He insisted that a fresh and lawful process must be conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution and what the faction described as its authentic leadership structure.
“The parallel processes that produced the two names have been rejected and nullified by our faction,” Muktar said.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to review its records concerning the party’s governorship nomination in Oyo State.
“INEC should, therefore, review and adjust its records to reflect the actual legal status of the Accord Party and its Oyo State gubernatorial nomination,” he said.
The latest development is coming amid a prolonged leadership crisis that has produced rival factions and competing claims over the party’s Oyo governorship ticket.
In May, parallel governorship primaries were held in Oyo, with one faction declaring Hamzat the winner and another returning Busari as its candidate.
The dispute has since moved to the courts.
A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan recently adjourned a suit challenging the Accord governorship ticket until September 30, following conflicting legal representations for the party.
Busari is challenging Hamzat’s emergence and is asking the court to direct INEC to remove Hamzat’s name and replace it with his.
Muktar said the leadership dispute was now before the Federal High Court, where the legitimate leadership of the party would ultimately be determined.
“Once the court settles the matter, all relevant institutions, including INEC, will be required to comply with the binding decision of the court,” he said.
He added, “The era of confusion must end. Accord deserves one legitimate leadership, one lawful process and one authentic structure.”
The Imumolen faction had previously announced plans for a fresh governorship primary in Oyo following the emergence of the rival candidates.
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