The Accord Party in Osun State has raised alarm and condemned in strong terms, the attempt by some leaders of the APC in the state deeper shopping for ex-parte orders and default judgment through frivolous and fabricated suits.
This move by a powerful caucus within the state APC is to undermine democratic processes ahead of the forthcoming gubernatorial election. The State Chairman of the party, Pastor Victor Akande, said emerging findings points to a coordinated plan to engineer artificial crises within opposition parties by sponsoring frivolous and misleading litigations.
According to Pastor Akande, the said APC faction has adopted the strategy of instituting court cases with no legal merit, with the sole aim of preventing other political parties from presenting candidates for the governorship contest. He noted that this approach represents a dangerous escalation in the politics of manipulation and desperation, capable of threatening the credibility of the entire electoral process in Osun State.
Speaking further, Pastor Akande cited the recent suit filed by one Mr. Oliver Bitrus through his counsel, Daniel Edeachi, describing it as the latest example of judicial abuse allegedly orchestrated by the caucus. He revealed that investigations conducted by Accord showed a deliberate attempt to mislead the courts and destabilise the internal activities of other political parties. He also vowed to take the matter before the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), reiterating his earlier commitment to ensure that legal practitioners who aid such acts of misconduct are held accountable.
The Accord chairman also alleged that the same APC caucus has orchestrated the internal disqualification of seven out of nine governorship aspirants within the APC itself. He described this as a blatant attempt to clear the path for a preferred aspirant, thereby subverting internal democracy and betraying the principles of fairness and equal opportunity within their own party.
“We have it on good authority that a certain leader of the APC in Osun State is dropping the President’s name to coerce and recruit people into achieving this undemocratic act. Their aim is to destroy other political parties and avoid any form of contest. They have done it to a number of parties already. They even do it to themselves with the reported disqualification of about seven out of nine aspirants in their party. But in Accord, they have failed already. The purported suit filed to distract us ahead of our primary election this week has exposed them. Like I have stated before, we will teach that counsel a professional lesson through the LPDC”.
Pastor Akande stated that the situation raises serious concerns about the intentions and democratic credentials of those behind the plot. According to him, any group willing to destabilize the opposition and manipulate its own internal processes cannot be trusted with the leadership of a state as politically aware and progressive as Osun.
He emphasized that such actions amount to a direct assault on democracy and a dangerous attempt to secure political power through intimidation, legal ambush, and suppression of legitimate political participation. He warned that allowing such tendencies to thrive would weaken public trust in the electoral system and diminish the values of transparency and fair competition.
Pastor Akande therefore called on civil society organisations, democratic institutions, political stakeholders, and the general public to remain vigilant and resist these alleged attempts to erode the democratic space. He urged lovers of democracy to stand firm against any group or individual seeking to ascend to the highest office in the state through subterfuge rather than a free, fair, and competitive electoral process.
“All lovers of democracy should be vigilant and be at alert to resist these anti democratic people. They don’t believe in democracy and freedom of choice, they are unpopular yet they want to force themselves on the people of Osun. This will never happen.”
The Accord Party reaffirmed its commitment to defending democracy, promoting stability, and ensuring that Osun people are offered credible and viable choices at the ballot box. Pastor Akande concluded by assuring the public that Accord will not be intimidated and will continue to expose all attempts to undermine the will of the people.
“For us in Accord, we are united and resolute, we will neither be cowered nor intimidated by their antics. At Osun and at the National level, there is no division and we remain focused in concluding the process of electing our candidate for August 8th, 2026 governorship election” he concluded.
Signed:
Pastor Victor Akande
Chairman, ACCORD Osun Caretaker Committee
07/11/2025
