Split In Ogun Accord Party Over Adoption of ADC Guber Candidate, Isiaka

ABEOKUTA - There seems to be crack in the leadership structure of Ogun State chapter of Accord Party over the adoption of the gubernatorial candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka.

The party exco headed by the State Chairman, Elder Isiaka Amusa together with the former State Secretary of the party, Saula Adegunwa and three senatorial district chairmen on Monday paid a scheduled visit to the Abeokuta residence of the ADC governorship candidate where they unilaterally declared him as their governorship candidate for the March 9 governorship election in the state.  

This is the second time the ADC standard bearer would be enmeshed in controversial endorsement.

The adoption of Gboyega Isiaka by the party echelon sparked another controversy among the leadership of the party in the state.

The State Chairman of the party, Elder Isiaka Amusa was reported to have said that the party was set and ready to work to ensure total victory for Isiaka of the ADC platform.

Amusa said the alliance of Accord with ADC was a marriage of convenience borne out of the desire to have the best for Ogun State in 2019.

From right: Chief Oladeinde, Alhaji Saula Adegunwa, Elder Amusa, ADC guber candidate, Gboyega Isiaka, Chief Joju Fadairo, Otunba Doyin Fakoya and ADC campaign DG, Asiwaju Anthony Ojesina

The Accord chairman, therefore, called on other political parties to join hands with Isiaka and the ADC for a better life for ogun people at the expense of his party.

“The essence of political parties is to bring dividends of democracy to our people, and if that is what we are looking for,  we have found that in Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka ,” Elder Amusa said.

An impeccable source informed THE ENCOUNTER that, the decision of the party's exco on Monday was hinged on alleged N10million bribe offered by APC top shot in South West to the governorship candidate of the Accord Party in the state, Sir Tope Tokoya. 

The source alleged that, Tokoya was given N10milion by the APC leadership in South West to prevent Governor Amosun from installing his preferred governorship candidate, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade, in Accord Party. 

The source further revealed that, the refusal of Tokoya to share the APC largesse with the party leadership in the state  did not go down well with the party exco. 

But speaking on telephone interview with THE ENCOUNTER on the adoption of Isiaka by the state Chairman, the party's Publicity Secretary, Mr. Michael Adesanya dismissed media reports on adoption of the governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, by Accord Party as a ruse.

"Accord Party has its own gubernatorial candidate and we stand by him. Forget about those four persons that are  parading themselves as leaders of Accord, and hawking about gubernatorial ticket that is not available. They lost during the primary and since then they have been working against the officially elected gubernatorial candidate of Accord" he said.

"One of them tendered his letter of resignation from the party immediately after the primaries. One of them was rejected by his ward at Sagamu and he resigned his senatorial position while the other one is officially on suspension having been indicted by a disciplinary committee set up by the State Working Committee."

Adesanya, also added that the other exco members were not bothered about their antics towards any gubernatorial candidate they (the chairman and other three senatorial chairmen) choose to support.

"We are not bothered anymore; about two weeks ago, they said they have adopted Dapo Abiodun, I am sure you heard that too, so they have been going all about, selling gubernatorial ticket that is not available to unsuspecting candidates. So, it is a bloody lie," he said.

"Must people destroy their political party because they lost out during primaries? In a sane democratic environment; if you do not agree with the happenings in an organization, you resign.

"We hereby confirm that the majority of the State Working Committee of ACCORD, Ogun State stands in support of the elected gubernatorial candidate of the party in person of Pastor (Sir) Tope Tokoya. We are also satisfied with his campaign organisation's unique style of getting to the voters. ACCORD, Ogun State has never and will never adopt any other party's gubernatorial candidate," the publicity secretary averred. 

Also speaking, the State Organizing Secretary of Accord Party, Mr. Dele Adebayo-Oyetoro described the adoption by the state chairman as shameful, assuring that steps are underway to address their anti-party activities. 

Oyetoro said: "That motley group of four to five individuals does not represent the leadership of the party. The State Working Committee which is the highest decision-making organ of the party never met not to talk of endorsing GNI. Secondly, some of those charlatans are not members of Accord. 

"Oladeinde resigned his membership of the party and senatorial chairmanship about 4 or 5 months ago, Saula was removed as state secretary, same way Doyin Fakoya too has ceased to be senatorial chairman East long before now. If you want evidences, I will provide same immediately. So, in what capacity are they representing Accord?" he queried. 

The organizing secretary added that, "Elder Amusa is the state chairman no doubt, but is he the only member of the exco? The exco is 19-man strong, the SWC 11. I was not part of this neither were most of my colleagues.

"Let me just say that steps are already ongoing to do just that. It may interest you to know that this same set of charlatans also endorsed Dapo Abiodun last month which the party issued a rejoinder to. Similarly, they had gone to Lado, Akinlade, Paseda and Buruji.

"But let me be very clear, GNI is a fine gentleman and highly cerebral, so I've nothing against his candidature. What I'm against is the deceit inherent a motley group claiming that the party has endorsed him without the approval of the supreme organ of the party. I reiterate that the leadership of Accord is not party to this."

In his own reaction, the state Chairman of Accord Party, Elder Isiaka Amusa maintained that, there's no fracture in the leadership of the party in the state, saying there's no faction in the party. 

Amusa explained that, the media report on the controversial endorsement of Prince Isiaka was insinuation by the fifth columnist. 

He explained that, he only went to Isiaka to commiserate with him on the demise of his late uncle who died recently.

The party chairman however described the other exco members as jobless politicians with no second title. 

Speaking on the alleged N1.5million donation by GNI campaign organization for the mobilization of Accord members into GNI campaign for governor, Elder Amusa denied the claim, saying GNI is not financially buoyant to afford such money. 

He said as an elder statesman, he cannot compromise the trust of his party members for a paltry N1.5million. 

Asked to confirm the governorship candidate of the party, Amusa emphatically replied,  "we don't have. Before we have Tope Tokoya, and two months ago, all of us including those that are talking to you and all the local government chairmen, state exco and all leaders, we agreed that the man for the past eight months that he has been working with us, he has never spent a kobo and has no kobo to execute a project, so there's no need of waiting for him. 

"We don't want to waste our time and we passed vote of no confidence in him, so, since then, he's no more our governorship candidate."