By The Osun State chapter of the Accord Party has raised the alarm over a growing problem within its own ranks, where members are reportedly working for candidates of rival parties ahead of the 2027 National and State Assembly elections. The concern surfaced at a closed-door stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo on Wednesday, presided over by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
According to a statement from the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, stakeholders at the meeting expressed dismay over reports that some Accord members were backing candidates from the Peoples Democratic Party, Allied Peoples Movement, Action Peoples Party and the All Progressives Congress in the coming polls. The gathering labeled the behaviour “anti-party” and flagged it as a genuine threat to the party’s unity and its electoral prospects across the state, resolving bluntly that “under no circumstances should any Accord member be caught sponsoring or working for legislative candidates of other political parties. Such behaviour will not be tolerated.”
The party isn’t leaving the response to chance. It has pledged severe sanctions for any member found culpable and directed the formation of a small committee tasked with reviewing specific constituencies where such conduct has already surfaced. State leadership was also instructed to set up monitoring mechanisms to identify offending members and bring them in line. On top of that, the meeting ordered that any lingering disputes over how legislative candidates were selected be resolved without delay, insisting that members rally around the candidates Accord has already fielded rather than continue relitigating the process.
Adeleke used his remarks to strike a balance between gratitude and warning. He praised party members for the loyalty they showed during the last election cycle, framing the party’s recent victory as something built on that unity. “I am deeply grateful to our party members for their depth of loyalty and courageous disposition throughout the democratic struggle. Osun people trusted us, and they fought for us under the divine direction of God Almighty,” he said. But he was equally direct about what comes next, making clear that the same discipline would be expected heading into the legislative races. “I task us to support our party candidates in the forthcoming legislative elections. We must avoid anti-party activities. Severe sanctions await any party member who works against the candidates of the party. We must run an inclusive campaign. All shades of opinion must be mobilised for resounding success in future elections,” the governor added.
