TD OSOGBO, Osun State — A fresh political controversy has erupted within the Accord Party on the eve of the Osun State governorship election, following the decision by Prof. Christopher Imumolen, who claims leadership of a faction of the party, to withdraw support for incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke and endorse the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
Imumolen, Accord’s 2023 presidential candidate and leader of one of the party’s rival factions, announced the endorsement on Thursday at the APC mega rally in Osogbo.
He said the decision followed internal developments within the party and that his faction’s National Working Committee had resolved to back Oyebamiji.
The development comes just one day before the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election, in which Adeleke is seeking re-election on the Accord platform.
However, the endorsement has been immediately disputed by the rival Accord faction led by Maxwell Mgbudem, which is recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Imole Campaign Council, which is backing Adeleke, described Imumolen as a factional leader and rejected his announcement
They insist that Mgbudem remains the recognised National Chairman of Accord and that the party’s official structure continues to support Adeleke.
The dispute is rooted in a prolonged leadership crisis within Accord.
Imumolen has for months claimed to be the party’s authentic national chairman, while the opposing faction led by Mgbudem has maintained control of the party’s recognised structure.
Premium Times has reported that the Mgbudem-led faction is recognised by INEC and backed by recent court rulings.
The disagreement dates back to Adeleke’s decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and contest the 2026 election under the Accord platform.
In December 2025, Adeleke emerged as Accord’s governorship candidate after a primary in Osogbo, with Mgbudem presenting him with his certificate of return.
Imumolen, however, had opposed Adeleke’s candidacy from the outset.
In December 2025, he described Adeleke’s nomination as illegal and claimed that his faction had conducted a separate primary which produced Clement Kolawole as its candidate.
The latest development therefore appears less like a formal withdrawal of Accord’s recognised nomination and more like a factional endorsement.
The party’s rival camps are taking opposing positions on the eve of the election.
The controversy adds another layer of uncertainty to an already closely watched Osun election.
Adeleke is defending his record in office against Oyebamiji and other contenders.
For now, the central political question is whether Imumolen’s endorsement can translate into significant electoral support for the APC candidate, particularly given that the Accord faction recognised by INEC continues to back Adeleke.
The dramatic last-minute realignment underscores the extent to which Accord’s unresolved leadership dispute has become intertwined with the battle for control of Osun State.
