Accord Party Deregistration Violates Court of Appeal Order

Osun State Governor and Accord Party candidate for the August 2026 governorship election, Ademola Adeleke, has condemned the deregistration of the Accord Party, describing it as a violation of a subsisting Court of Appeal order.

Osun State Governor and the Accord Party’s candidate for the August 2026 governorship election, Ademola Adeleke, has strongly criticised the decision to deregister the Accord Party, calling it a violation of a subsisting order by the Court of Appeal.

In a statement issued through his media aide, Olawale Rasheed, on Thursday, Governor Adeleke described the decision as “a clear disregard for judicial hierarchy and due process,” noting that the Court of Appeal had previously granted an order suspending the deregistration pending the determination of the substantive appeal.

According to the governor, the Accord Party had filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging the earlier Federal High Court ruling that authorised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the party.

Adeleke maintained that the Court of Appeal had issued a stay of execution on the deregistration order, meaning that the status quo should have been preserved until the appeal process was concluded.

“It is bewildering that a final decision would be made on a matter that is still pending before the Court of Appeal. This amounts to judicial overreach and undermines the appellate process guaranteed by the Constitution,” the governor stated.

He expressed concern that the development sets a dangerous precedent that could undermine confidence in the judiciary and the rule of law, warning that it could affect the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.

Governor Adeleke reaffirmed his commitment to exhausting all legal options to challenge the deregistration, vowing that the Accord Party would continue to resist what he described as “an orchestrated attempt to manipulate the electoral process and eliminate political competition ahead of the Osun governorship election.”

The governor called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, the international community and pro-democracy groups to defend democratic principles, electoral justice and the independence of institutions.

He assured members and supporters of the Accord Party in Osun State that the party remains legally and politically viable, urging them to remain calm, resolute and focused on winning the August 2026 governorship election.

The Osun governorship election is scheduled for August 15, 2026, with Governor Adeleke seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) earlier this year.

The deregistration of the Accord Party has sparked widespread controversy, with legal experts, opposition parties and political analysts weighing in on the implications of the development for Nigeria’s electoral democracy and the rule of law.