The Osun State chapter of the Accord Party has said Governor Ademola Adeleke will be granted a waiver to contest the 2026 governorship election on its platform if he decides to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The party’s state chairman, Victor Akande, gave the assurance in a telephone interview on Sunday, though he stressed that neither the governor nor his aides had made any formal approach to Accord.
Akande dismissed growing rumours about Adeleke’s possible defection, describing them as mere speculation fueled by the crisis within the PDP.
“For now, the issue of Governor Adeleke coming to Accord is still just a rumour. I have not met anyone from government on the matter,” he said.
“However, if he chooses to come, we will receive him wholeheartedly. The party’s door is always open.”
He confirmed that two aspirants have already shown interest in contesting on the Accord platform for the August 8, 2026 governorship poll but noted that Adeleke would still enjoy the party’s existing waiver policy if he joins.
Meanwhile, the Osun PDP says the final decision on the platform Adeleke will use for his re-election rests with the governor himself.
The party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Bamiji, told The PUNCH that Adeleke, who recently returned from a foreign trip, will soon make his position public.
“The governor has the power to decide. Whether he stays in PDP or moves, he will let everyone know,” Bamiji said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed December 15 as the deadline for political parties to submit names of their candidates for the 2026 governorship race.
Last week, former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola described Accord Party as a “fair platform” for Adeleke, saying the governor would announce his political direction upon returning to the country.
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