Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke could face disciplinary action from the Accord Party over his reported appointment as coordinator of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign in Osun State, with the party insisting that any decision on the matter must follow an investigation into his involvement.
The Ogun State Chairman of Accord, Hon. Michael Rotimi Oke, said the governor’s reported role could amount to anti-party activity if it is established that he acted against the party’s constitution, official position or political interests.
He, however, maintained that the appointment alone was not sufficient to justify sanctions against Adeleke.
Oke explained that the party’s national leadership had yet to reach an official conclusion on the matter.
According to him, its leaders first learnt of the reported appointment through media reports and had not formally examined the circumstances surrounding the governor’s involvement.
Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, the Accord chieftain said the party would need to establish whether Adeleke’s relationship with Tinubu was based on cooperation with the Federal Government or active participation in the campaign of another political party.
“The issue here is not just about Governor Ademola Adeleke having any form of relationship with the APC Presidential Campaign Council, but whether such relationship contravenes the constitution of the party, the political stance of Accord, or any other decision taken by the party,” he said.
Oke stated that Accord’s constitution contained provisions governing members’ conduct, their obligations to the party and the consequences of actions considered detrimental to its interests.
He specifically referred to Articles 13, 14 and 20, which he said provided grounds for addressing anti-party activities and other forms of misconduct.
He stressed that the provisions could become relevant in Adeleke’s case, depending on what the party’s investigation establishes.
However, he cautioned that the governor should not be declared guilty of violating party rules before the appropriate organs had examined the matter.
According to Oke, the distinction between maintaining a working relationship with the President and campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be central to determining whether Adeleke had breached any party directive.
“If the role of Governor Adeleke was that of cooperating with the President on national development, then by itself, such will not constitute anti-party actions,” Oke said.
He added that the situation could be different if the governor formally endorsed Tinubu’s re-election bid or campaigned for the APC presidential candidate against Accord’s eventual position ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Such involvement, he indicated, could trigger disciplinary proceedings if Accord adopts a different presidential candidate or issues directives that conflict with the governor’s reported political engagement.
The party chairman also noted that Accord had yet to select its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
He said the party’s position on the contest would need to be established before its leadership could determine whether Adeleke’s reported appointment violated an existing directive.
Oke maintained that the decision should be based on the party’s constitution, resolutions and established procedures rather than individual opinions about the governor’s relationship with Tinubu.
Oke said the development could affect the confidence of party members, particularly those preparing to contest elective positions under its platform.
He noted that uncertainty over the governor’s political direction could create disagreements within the party, with some members potentially supporting his decision while others might demand disciplinary action.
The Accord chairman also offered his interpretation of the personal relationship between Adeleke and Tinubu, referring to comments reportedly made by the governor during the inauguration of the campaign committee in Abuja.
“At the inauguration of the committee in Abuja, we heard Governor Adeleke refer to President Tinubu as his father. So, I can conclude that Governor Adeleke must have accepted the appointment on a personal relationship basis,” he said.
However, Oke maintained that a personal relationship between two political leaders should not automatically determine whether a party member has violated party rules.
He said the relevant consideration remained whether Adeleke’s actions conflicted with decisions formally taken by Accord.
“There is a difference between the opinion of individual party leaders and a decision taken by authorised bodies of the party,” he said.
He added that the party’s national leadership had a responsibility to protect its identity and ensure that members remained accountable to its constitution.
At the same time, he insisted that the governor must be given a fair opportunity to explain his position before any disciplinary decision is reached.
