The political survival of candidates flying the flag of the Accord Party in Osun State, including Senator Lere Oyewunmi, Abdulganiyu Olaoluwa and Ibukun Fadipe, popularly known as Ibk, has been cast into deep uncertainty following a landmark judgment by the High Court in Abuja regarding the party’s leadership and presidential nomination dynamics.
While the court’s decision delivered a favorable outcome for the party’s presidential candidate, internal stakeholders warn that the underlying legal and administrative cracks exposed by the case could severely jeopardize the legitimacy of all other candidates on the party’s platform.
Reactions have continued to trail the judgment, with prominent party figures voicing strong concern over the systemic chaos and procedural flaws that characterized candidate nominations across various state chapters.
Speaking on the implications of the verdict, Yusuf Adegboye, a leading voice within the Accord Liberation Movement, described the judgment as a clear reflection of the deep-seated divisions tearing the party apart.
“This ruling is a clear testimony to the cracks within our party and a definitive sign of what is to come in the critical weeks ahead,” Adegboye stated.
He emphasized that while the defendants retain the legal right to challenge the judgment on appeal, the undeniable reality remains that the party lacks internal cohesion—a vulnerability that threatens the political fortunes of every candidate running on its ticket.
According to Adegboye, the root cause of the crisis stems from the arbitrary manner in which nomination processes were conducted, alongside the sudden influx and takeover of party machinery by political outsiders.
“The mode of nomination within the party and the reckless invasion by strange elements who hijacked the party structure could cause a major upset for all our candidates,” Adegboye warned. “You don’t just join a political party overnight, hijack all its established structures, and completely ignore the laws, rules, and statutory guidelines governing primary elections.”
Painting a grim picture for those currently laying claim to the party’s tickets, he added: “I pity those who assume they currently have valid party tickets. They may wake up to discover that their tickets are no better than movie tickets in the coming weeks.”
Adegboye further cautioned that candidate nomination is a crucial, non-negotiable phase of the electoral cycle under the Nigerian Electoral Act, stressing that any procedural lapse, illegal primary, or flawed submission could legally invalidate the tickets of all affected candidates.
Drawing parallels to previous electoral disasters in Nigerian political history, Adegboye reminded party faithful of the costly lessons learned by other political platforms in recent years.
“We have seen what happened in Zamfara and Plateau states, where political parties suffered total defeats and lost hard-won victories despite winning massively at the polls,” Adegboye warned. “The law is clear: if your nomination is discovered to be legally invalid, your scores will simply not count, regardless of how popular you are on election day.”
As anxiety deepens among candidates and supporters across Osun State, political analysts note that unless the leadership of the Accord Party urgently resolves its structural and nomination crises, the party risks being completely disqualified from participating meaningfully in the upcoming polls.
