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| Governor Ademola Adeleke |
In Nigerian politics, party labels often function more as temporary vehicles than rigid ideologies.
Governors switch platforms with calculated ease, opposition figures quietly back the incumbent, and electoral success frequently rests on personal networks rather than institutional loyalty. The latest episode involving Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has brought these realities into sharp focus.
Two senior figures in the Lagos State chapter of the Accord Party have publicly challenged Adeleke to clarify his political allegiance after the All Progressives Congress (APC) named him state coordinator of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign. In an open letter signed under the banner of “Concerned Leaders of Accord, Lagos State,” Oke Sewedo, a party leader in Lagos West Senatorial District, and Oladeji Oluwatosin (also referred to in some reports as Oladele Oladeji), the Lagos State Accord chairman, argue that the governor’s dual role risks undermining Accord’s credibility and the prospects of its candidates nationwide.
Their intervention comes just days after Adeleke appeared at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja on 14 October 2026, where he publicly endorsed Tinubu’s re-election bid. The governor, who won re-election in August 2026 on the Accord platform, told the gathering that Tinubu’s reforms need more than one term to take root. “We must give our father, the president… time for his reforms to work. It is not easy, and four years is not enough,” Adeleke said, calling on Nigerians to rally behind the president.
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From PDP to Accord: A Strategic Pivot
Adeleke’s political journey illustrates the fluid nature of Nigerian party politics. He first became governor in 2022 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defeating the then-incumbent Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC. By late 2025, amid prolonged internal crises in the PDP, he resigned and formally joined Accord in December 2025, citing the smaller party’s emphasis on “welfarism” as aligned with his governance philosophy focused on citizens’ and workers’ welfare.
Accord, a relatively minor national party, suddenly found itself with a sitting governor. Adeleke’s re-election on 15 August 2026—securing 511,067 votes against the APC’s Bola Oyebamiji’s 444,815—delivered a 66,252-vote margin and transformed the party into a state-level force in Osun. For many rank-and-file members, the victory represented a rare breakthrough: proof that a smaller platform could deliver power and, in theory, offer a credible alternative for candidates seeking legislative seats in 2027.
Yet even before the governorship poll, Adeleke and elements of Accord’s national leadership had signalled support for Tinubu. In July 2026, after a meeting in Osogbo attended by National Chairman Maxwell Mgbudem and other top officials, the party publicly adopted Tinubu as its preferred presidential candidate for 2027, citing the need for the administration to complete major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road and the Sokoto-Badagry Highway.
The Lagos Letter: Core Concerns
The Lagos leaders frame their letter not as an attack on Adeleke’s person or office, but as a defence of party integrity. They describe the 2026 Osun victory as “a significant moment for our party and its members, who believed that Accord could provide a fertile and credible platform for grooming great political minds and careers, good governance, exemplary leadership and political change.”
The appointment as Tinubu’s Osun coordinator, they argue, raises fundamental questions: “How can a sitting governor elected under Accord simultaneously coordinate the presidential campaign of a candidate belonging to another political party, while Accord itself is preparing its candidates and supporters for the same general election? This portends grave danger to the electoral aspiration and prospect of Accord candidates in Osun State and Nigeria at large.”
They warn that conflicting signals could erode the electoral advantage candidates might otherwise enjoy from the governor’s popularity, create voter uncertainty, and demoralise members who invested time and resources in building the party. If Adeleke remains committed to Accord, they urge him to reconsider the Tinubu role and demonstrate support for the party’s interests. If his allegiance has shifted, they call for a clear, constitutional exit rather than prolonged ambiguity. They also press national leadership to engage the governor formally, explain relevant constitutional provisions, and take steps to protect candidates—particularly those contesting Senate and House of Representatives seats in Osun.
The letter explicitly references Accord’s presidential candidate, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, noting that he and other recognised candidates require a coherent structure. Olawepo-Hashim’s status was recently affirmed by a Federal High Court in Abuja, which ordered the party and INEC to recognise him after a disputed primary process. He has publicly sought Adeleke’s support, arguing that Osun, as an Accord-controlled state, should back the party’s national ticket.
Contrasting Voices Within Accord
Not all of Accord is aligned with the Lagos leader’s stance. The Osun State chapter, under Chairman Pastor Victor Babalola Akande, congratulated Adeleke on the appointment and urged members to approach it with understanding and political maturity. National and State House of Assembly candidates in Osun, speaking through House Speaker Adewale Olumide Egbedun, pledged full support for the governor’s new role and committed to mobilising votes for Tinubu. Adeleke’s own Imole Campaign Council went further, promising to deliver 1.5 million votes for the president by leveraging Accord structures.
This internal divergence highlights a classic tension: state-level pragmatism versus national or diaspora-chapter idealism. For Osun politicians, aligning with the federal government can bring infrastructure benefits and political protection. For Lagos leaders—many of whom are preparing their own 2027 campaigns—the governor’s dual loyalty risks diluting the party brand they are trying to build in a highly competitive environment.
Broader Pattern: Cross-Party Campaign Roles
Adeleke’s appointment is not unique. The revised APC Presidential Campaign Council also includes FCT Minister Nyesom Wike (PDP) as coordinator for Rivers and the FCT, and Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo (APGA) as coordinator for his state. These inclusions reflect Tinubu’s strategy of building a broad coalition that transcends formal party lines, especially in regions where the APC faces challenges. In Osun, the choice of Adeleke over prominent APC figures such as Minister Gboyega Oyetola has generated disquiet within the state APC, with some insisting that party structures—not parallel ones—should control the presidential effort.
Such arrangements are pragmatic responses to Nigeria’s personalised politics. Governors often control significant patronage networks and grassroots machinery that can outweigh formal party affiliation. Yet they also expose the fragility of smaller parties. Accord’s sudden elevation through Adeleke’s victory created expectations of institutional growth; the current ambiguity risks reducing it once again to a personal vehicle.
What Clarity Would Mean
The Lagos leaders’ call is ultimately a demand for transparency in a system that rarely rewards it. Clear answers from Adeleke and national leadership would help candidates plan their campaigns, reassure grassroots members, and define whether Accord intends to function as a genuine alternative platform or primarily as a temporary home for ambitious politicians.
As the 2027 general elections approach, the episode serves as a microcosm of larger questions facing Nigerian democracy: Can smaller parties build durable institutions when power remains concentrated in individuals? How do voters interpret conflicting signals from elected officials? And what accountability, if any, do politicians owe the platforms that propelled them into office?
Adeleke has not yet issued a formal response to the Lagos letter. Until he does, the questions raised by Sewedo, Oluwatosin and the Concerned Leaders of Accord will linger—reminding observers that in Nigerian politics, loyalty is often tested not by ideology, but by the practical demands of the next election cycle.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Politics and Technology.
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