The Accord Party has come down hard on what it described as a “stage-managed drama” masquerading as a parallel governorship primary election in Osun State, dismissing the exercise as the handiwork of political interlopers desperate for relevance.

In a strongly worded response, the party said the individuals behind the purported primary were not members of Accord in any meaningful sense, branding them “political nomads” who drift from one platform to another in search of attention and patronage. According to the party, the exercise was never recognised by its national leadership and lacked any legal or procedural foundation.

Accord noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already distanced itself from the so-called primary, a development the party said confirmed its position that the event was nothing more than a calculated attempt to sow confusion in Osun’s political space.

The party stressed that its governorship candidate, Governor Ademola Adeleke, remains firmly focused on governance rather than distractions engineered by political opponents unsettled by his growing influence. It said Adeleke’s emergence as Accord’s flag bearer has unsettled rival camps who now resort to what it described as “cheap theatrics” to undermine his candidacy.

Reacting through its National Publicity Secretary, Joseph Omorogbe, Accord alleged that the parallel primary was sponsored by opposition elements fearful of the governor’s expanding grassroots support since his move to the party. He described the exercise as a deliberate mockery of democratic norms, staged by individuals with no legitimate standing within the party structure.

Omorogbe said the party would not dissipate its energy responding to what he called frivolities, adding that Accord remains committed to consolidating its internal cohesion and strengthening its appeal to Osun voters.

He also used the opportunity to welcome new members who have recently joined the party, noting that Accord’s doors remain open to Nigerians seeking a credible alternative anchored on good governance and accountability.

“The party is big enough to accommodate millions of compatriots who desire and deserve a brighter future,” he said, urging members to remain united and focused.

According to Accord, the controversy surrounding the fake primary is unlikely to distract the party from its broader objective of delivering stability, security and prosperity to Osun State. It maintained that democratic processes must be respected and warned against turning internal party politics into a circus driven by external sponsors.