Accord Party rejects ‘back door entry’ claim, endorses Adeleke

The Accord Party has dissociated itself from a statement credited to Chris Imumolen over Osun Governor, Ademola Adeleke’s defection and emergence as consensus candidate of the party.

Imumolen had allegedly described Governor Adeleke’s defection to the party as a “back door entry”, declaring it as invalid.

But Accord Party in a statement on Monday by its National Coordinator, Rev. (Dr.) Isaac Adeniyi, described the statement as reckless, illegal, null and void.

Adeniyi who commended INEC for recognizing Governor Ademola Adeleke as the legitimate candidate of Accord Party duly elected as the consensus candidate of the party, urged the electoral umpire to discountenance this renegade group.

The statement read in part:

“Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to one Chris Imumolen criticizing Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, for defecting to our great party, Accord Party.

“Accord disassociates our Party from the reckless statements of the said Imumolen. Let it also be known that in trying to display his ignorance to challenge the legitimacy of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory at the Accord Party’s primary, Imomulen hurriedly went to a closet to organize a kangaroo primary elsewhere in Osun State unknown to the public, proclaiming himself as National Chairman and his disguised National Working Committee members. The actions of Imumolen is illegal, null and void.

“The General public is warned not to associate themselves with him as he and his group do not represent Accord Party in any capacity whatsoever.

The statement recalled that Governor Ademola Adeleke was duly registered at his Ward as a member of Accord party, contested the party primary and eventually emerged as consensus candidate.

“The Party primary was conducted and witnessed by INEC officials as he was subsequently elected as Accord flag bearer. Accord constitution also stipulates giving the party ticket to a sole candidate in the absence of any other contestants.

“Those sponsoring Imumolen know for sure that Governor Adeleke will emerge victorious in the forthcoming Osun Governorship election. The other political parties should put their leaking umbrella and the uncoordinated scattered broom in Osun state in order. There is no killing the beetle, Imole is sure of victory,” the statement concluded.