Tension in Osun Accord Party as Chairman, expelled executives bicker

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The Accord Party’s Osun State branch seems to be in disarray as some of the ousted officials argue over tenure legality with the party’s chairman, Pastor Victor Akande.

This comes as the state’s previous Accord Party officials expressed concern about an apparent illegal power grab by people posing as party leaders.

The former leaders said at a press conference in Osogbo on Monday that the party hasn’t had a legitimate state executive council since March 2025, when the previous officials’ terms ended.

Nasiru Bolarinwa, the party’s immediate past state secretary, spoke on behalf of the former officials, saying, “I am here to brief the general public and party faithful about the current leadership vacuum in our respected political party, Accord in Osun. Since March this year, our tenure ended, and for over three months now, no executive has been appointed or elected to oversee the affairs of the party in the state.”

Bolarinwa emphasized that the meeting was an essential step to prevent unauthorized people from assuming leadership positions, not a violation of party regulations.

He charged that Pastor Victor Akande, the party’s immediate past chairman, was still posing as the party’s present Osun leader.

“We want to use this medium to formally notify the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, INEC, the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Nigeria Police that Pastor Victor Akande is no longer the state chairman of the Accord Party. Any such claim or activity should be regarded as null and void,” he said.

In addition, former party organizing secretary Yakub Olayinka encouraged all party members to abstain from recognizing anyone claiming leadership authority in the state, reiterating that the state chapter is now awaiting official information from the national headquarters.

“We are all members of the party, and as it stands, no one should parade himself as state chairman. We urge all stakeholders to wait patiently for the green light from Abuja,” Olayinka added.

Olayinka reassured the public that Accord is still active and plans to realign itself for future political fights with regard to party organization and electoral strategy.

He claimed that recent problems with the party’s leadership have not discouraged its ambition.

“We are gathering strength. We believe strongly that Accord is poised for victory in the next Osun elections once we resolve these internal issues,” he said.

Former Treasurer Oladapo Joseph disliked Pastor Akande’s management style.

He charged that the former chairman had undermined the party’s foundations in local government regions by sowing discord and acting opaquely.

“Under Pastor Akande, the party was run without unity or transparency. But we are not discouraged. We’re already working to rebuild trust and structure from the grassroots all the way to the national level,” Oladapo explained.

Together, the former officials urged party members throughout the state to maintain composure.

They made it clear that any attempt to manipulate the party program for partisan political advantage would be met with legal opposition.

“We call on all genuine Accord members to disregard any illegal meetings or pronouncements. Let us stand together until proper structures are restored,” Bolarinwa said.

Until a new state executive council is established, they urged INEC and other pertinent institutions to exclusively interact with the national leadership.

In response, Pastor Victor Akande, the chairman of the Osun Accord Party, revealed in a message that the previous executive members had been kicked out of the party since August 2024.

Pastor Akande further said that there has never been a void in the state’s party since, as the party’s national secretariat is aware, she has instructed the establishment of a caretaker committee to handle day-to-day operations.

The message reads, “I wouldn’t have reacted to the release but for public interest I will have to.

“Those people are not members of the Accord Party they have been expelled from the party since last year August and the national is aware of their expulsion.

“Secondly, there has never been any vacuum in the state because before the expiration of our tenure we have written to the National about it and we have been asked to set up a caretaker for the day-to day running of the Party which we have done. I remain the Chairman of Accord Party (caretaker) until we conduct another Congress.

“Attached with this is the letter to support my claims.”

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