A chieftain of the Accord Party in Lagos State, Israel Jagunmolu, has predicted defeat for Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke in the forthcoming governorship election.
Jagunmolu, in a statement, said the governor would either lose at the polls or face defeat through the ongoing legal battle over the leadership of the Accord Party.
He said the prediction was based on the position of Prof. Chris Imumolen, whom he described as the factional National Chairman of the Accord Party. According to Jagunmolu, Imumolen remains confident that Adeleke will not secure victory in the election, but argued that even victory at the polls would not end the legal challenges surrounding the political contest.
“Adeleke will lose at the polls. And if, against all expectations, he wins, the Accord leadership case will ultimately defeat him in court,” he quoted Imumolen as saying.
Jagunmolu said the leadership dispute within the Accord Party had resulted in legal proceedings involving rival factions of the party. He said the matter, following proceedings at the Court of Appeal, is now before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Accord chieftain said the legal battle was significant because it centred on the leadership and structure of the party and the authority of the respective factions to exercise the party’s political mandate.
He quoted Imumolen as expressing confidence that the court would rule in favour of his faction. “We are expecting victory in the judgment very soon,” Imumolen was quoted as saying.
Jagunmolu said the outcome of the legal proceedings could have implications for the political contest, insisting that Adeleke’s alleged vulnerability extended beyond the ballot box.
He urged voters in Osun to consider what he described as the wider political and legal issues surrounding the election before casting their ballots.
According to him, the Imumolen-led faction remains confident that the judicial process will vindicate its position and establish what it considers the legitimate leadership structure of the Accord Party.
Jagunmolu said the unfolding political contest in Osun would ultimately be determined by both the electoral process and developments in the courts.
He, however, did not provide details of how a judgment in the Accord Party leadership dispute would directly affect Adeleke’s candidacy or electoral victory.
The Osun governorship election is expected to be keenly contested, with the incumbent seeking to retain his position amid growing political activities ahead of the poll.
The post Adeleke will lose Osun governorship election, Accord chieftain predicts appeared first on Vanguard News.