Governor Ademola Adeleke says the Accord Party will remain in the Osun governorship race despite a court ruling ordering its deregistration.
Rather than slowing down preparations for the upcoming Osun governorship election, the court-ordered deregistration of the Accord Party has strengthened the resolve of Governor Ademola Adeleke and his supporters, with the governor insisting that his campaign will proceed without interruption.
The governor’s reaction followed Monday’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five registered political parties, including the Accord Party. Other parties affected by the ruling are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Adeleke, reacting said the decision would not prevent his party from appearing on the ballot for the August 15 election. He argued that the ruling was issued despite an existing Court of Appeal order directing that proceedings in the matter should be suspended.
Speaking through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor accused political opponents of attempting to create uncertainty around the election through legal battles, maintaining that voters rather than courtroom decisions would determine the outcome of the governorship contest.
The governor argued that the issue goes beyond politics and raises fundamental questions about respect for judicial hierarchy and adherence to established legal procedures.
He maintained that once a superior court has granted a stay of proceedings, all actions connected to the case should be suspended until the appeal is resolved.
At the centre of the controversy is the Accord Party Deregistration order, which Adeleke believes cannot stand because it was issued despite the pending appellate process.
He cited the position of the Court of Appeal, which reportedly held that the delivery of judgment forms part of court proceedings and should therefore be covered by the stay order.
Adeleke said he was surprised that the Federal High Court proceeded to deliver its verdict despite what he described as a clear directive from the appellate court.
He expressed confidence that the legal issues surrounding the judgment would eventually be resolved in favour of the affected political parties.
Despite the uncertainty generated by the ruling, the governor reassured party supporters that political activities in Osun State would continue without interruption.
He urged members and supporters to remain calm, law-abiding, and focused on preparations for the forthcoming governorship election.
The governor also dismissed concerns that the legal battle could affect campaign plans. He announced that the official flag-off of the party’s governorship campaign would proceed as scheduled, insisting that no court judgment would distract the party from engaging voters across the state.
Political observers believe the Accord Party Deregistration dispute could become one of the most significant election-related legal battles in recent months.
The case is expected to test the boundaries of judicial authority, electoral law, and the powers of courts in matters relating to political party registration.
The development has also sparked debate within political circles about the implications of deregistering established political parties ahead of major elections.
Supporters of the affected parties argue that such actions could limit political competition, while proponents of the ruling insist that electoral laws must be enforced.
Regardless of the court ruling, Adeleke insisted that the Accord Party Deregistration order would not derail the party’s political ambitions.
“I call on Osun people to remain calm and be assured that our rights will be affirmed and our party, the Accord will be on the ballot on August 15th.
“We will not only be on the ballot, we will win overwhelmingly the forthcoming governorship election. We should remain calm and forge ahead with mobilisation of our people.
“I also want to assure our people that the flag off of our campaign is holding as scheduled tommorow. They want to distract us. We are going ahead and we are winning this election”, the state governor posited.
"Our lawyers are taking all the necessary steps to right the wrong", the governor posited.
Related news:
“You are playing with fire,” ADC warns Tinubu agents seeking party deregistration
Court orders INEC to deregister ADC, four other political parties
Electoral Act 2026: What Nigerians need to know about lost PVCs
🥰🥰🥰