A deepening leadership crisis has rocked the Accord Party in Oyo State after two different governorship candidates, popular broadcaster Oriyomi Hamzat and Olakunle Busari, popularly known as Gudugudu, emerged from separate parallel primary elections ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
The development has widened existing divisions within the party, with rival factions trading blame and raising questions about the credibility of the nomination process. What was expected to be a clear path toward selecting a standard bearer has now turned into a contest of legitimacy between opposing camps.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, the factional National Secretary of the party, Muktar Abdallah, aligned with the camp loyal to Prof. Chris Imumolen, rejected the outcome of the disputed primaries. He also dismissed the emergence of both candidates, describing the process as flawed and lacking legitimacy.
Abdallah criticised the leadership of the rival faction, accusing them of mismanagement and personal interests that, according to him, have dragged the party into public embarrassment. He said the situation had exposed deep cracks within the structure of the party and raised serious concerns among members about leadership direction.
According to him, the emergence of parallel candidates from the same process reflects what he called confusion and a breakdown of order within the opposing camp. He added that the development had further weakened confidence in the faction’s ability to manage internal affairs.
He also disclosed that the authentic leadership of the party under Prof. Imumolen has set up a disciplinary committee to review actions considered damaging to the party’s image. He stressed that steps would be taken to address what he described as unacceptable conduct within the ranks.
The faction further stated that the crisis in Oyo State would not be ignored, insisting that those responsible for the situation would be held accountable. Abdallah said the actions of the rival leaders had brought avoidable embarrassment to the party.
In an effort to restore order, the faction announced plans to conduct a fresh governorship primary election in Oyo State. It insisted that the new process would be transparent and credible, with the aim of producing a candidate that reflects the true will of party members and supporters in the state.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to internal democracy and due process, stressing that it would not allow ongoing disputes to weaken the structure or integrity of the Accord Party ahead of the 2027 elections.
