Adeleke Urges Calm Over Accord Party Deregistration, Insists Judgment Contradicts Appeal Court Order

By Sunday Oguntuyi, Osogbo

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called on members and supporters of the Accord Party to remain calm following a Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the party and four others.

The governor described the ruling as an abuse of court process and a direct violation of a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal, expressing confidence that the matter would be resolved in favour of the party.

In a statement issued on Monday by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke said the Court of Appeal had already ordered a stay of proceedings in the matter and questioned why the Federal High Court proceeded to deliver judgment despite the appellate court’s directive.

According to the statement, records presented before Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court showed that the Court of Appeal, in proceedings held on May 22, 2026, had ruled that the delivery of judgment remained part of the proceedings before the lower court.

“It is on record before Honourable Justice Peter Lifu that in the proceedings of the Court of Appeal of May 22, 2026, which was tendered before the court as Exhibit MAC 2, the appellate court specifically pronounced that ‘the delivery of the judgment is still part of the proceedings of the court,’” the statement said.

Adeleke urged residents of the state and supporters of the Accord Party not to panic, noting that the Court of Appeal is scheduled to hear the matter on Tuesday.

He maintained that attempts to prevent Osun voters from exercising their democratic rights would not succeed.

“The efforts to stop Osun people from exercising their voting rights will fail by the special grace of Almighty God. The rule of law and humanity shall prevail at the end of the day,” the governor stated.

He further assured party members that the Accord Party would remain on the ballot for the August 15 governorship election and expressed confidence in the party’s electoral prospects.

“I call on Osun people to remain calm and be assured that our rights will be affirmed and our party, the Accord, will be on the ballot on August 15.

“We will not only be on the ballot, we will win overwhelmingly in the forthcoming governorship election. We should remain calm and continue mobilising our people,” he said.

The governor also dismissed suggestions that the court ruling could disrupt the party’s campaign activities, insisting that the official flag-off of the governorship campaign would proceed as planned.

“I also want to assure our people that the flag-off of our campaign is holding as scheduled tomorrow. They want to distract us. We are going ahead, and we are winning this election,” Adeleke added.

He disclosed that the party’s legal team had already commenced steps to challenge the judgment and secure what he described as justice in the matter.

“Our lawyers are taking all the necessary steps to right the wrong,” the governor said.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier ordered the deregistration of the Accord Party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for allegedly failing to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration as political parties.