- Osun: Accord Party Crisis Deepens as Another Governorship Candidate Emerges
- Clement Bamigbola emerges as factional candidate
- Leadership dispute fuels crisis ahead of 2026 election
A faction of the Accord Party has conducted a separate governorship primary and elected Clement Bamigbola as its candidate for the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
The development comes four days after another faction of the party produced Governor Ademola Adeleke as its governorship flagbearer.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- Trump Says Zelenskyy Stalling U.S. Peace Plan
- Oluremi Tinubu Predicts Nigeria’s Rise to Prosperity
- Why Nigeria’s Military Helped Foil Coup Attempt in Benin Republic
EKO HOT BLOG reports that earlier in the week, the Accord Party leadership led by Maxwell Mgbudem held a governorship primary that resulted in the emergence of Adeleke as the party’s candidate.
However, the opposing faction rejected the outcome of that exercise, arguing that Maxwell Mgbudem is not the legally recognised national chairman of the Accord Party and therefore lacks the authority to conduct the primary.
In a fresh exercise held on Sunday, about 300 delegates of the party drawn from across Osun State gathered in Osogbo to conduct a parallel primary.
The primary took place at Regina Suite, Osogbo, where the delegates elected Bamigbola through a voice vote.
Following the vote, the Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, Hon. Olufemi Ogundare, announced Bamigbola as the faction’s governorship candidate for the 2026 election.
The emergence of two candidates from different factions of the Accord Party has further deepened the leadership crisis within the party in Osun State, raising questions over which faction will eventually be recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Party sources said the disagreement centres on the legitimacy of the party’s national leadership and the conduct of the governorship primary.
The 2026 Osun governorship election is expected to be keenly contested, with internal party disputes likely to shape the political landscape in the months ahead.
