The Accord Party has swiftly disowned the purported endorsement of Governor Alex Otti for the 2027 election, calling it null and void.
In a strongly worded statement issued by the party’s spokesperson, Joseph Omorogbe, Accord made clear that it neither endorsed Governor Otti nor directed its Abia State chapter to throw its weight behind the ruling Labour Party in the state, contradicting the impression created by a recent high-profile visit to Government House in Umuahia.
The controversy was ignited when Professor Christopher Imumolen and a delegation paid a courtesy visit to Governor Otti at the Abia State Government House in Umuahia, during which they publicly endorsed the governor for a second term in office.
The visit, which carried the trappings of an official party gesture, quickly made the rounds in political circles and media outlets, apparently lending the impression that Accord was throwing its institutional weight behind the Labour Party governor ahead of the 2027 polls.
However, Accord’s national leadership was having none of it.
At the heart of Accord’s rebuttal is a pointed reminder that Professor Imumolen and his associates have no standing within the party. According to Omorogbe’s statement, Imumolen and his group were expelled from Accord in 2024 for anti-party activities, a fact the national leadership says the public, and indeed Governor Otti himself, ought to have verified before lending any credence to the visit.
“Non-members of a political party cannot speak, act, or endorse any aspirant for any elective position on behalf of the authentic leadership of the party,” the statement declared.
The party went further, characterizing the conduct of Imumolen and his associates in Umuahia as a calculated performance, one designed to deceive unsuspecting members of the public into believing they were witnessing an official party endorsement.
“What Imumolen and his co-travelers did in Umuahia is their usual showmanship and impersonation of the Accord leadership to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public. Their antics are well known to all discerning citizens,” the statement read.
In one of the more pointed passages of the statement, Accord took direct aim at the governor himself, suggesting he should have exercised greater diligence before receiving the group.
“Unfortunately, Governor Alex Otti fell victim to these political mercenaries roaming the democratic space, seeking vulnerable politicians to exploit in this election season,” the party said, a characterization that raises uncomfortable questions about whether the governor’s camp failed to vet the delegation or simply chose not to.
Accord reminded all political actors that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) website remains the authoritative and publicly accessible register of recognised party leadership, and that it clearly lists Barrister Maxwell Mgbuden as the duly recognised National Chairman of the Accord Party.
“Governor Otti ought to have known the authentic and recognised leadership of every political party as clearly displayed on the INEC website,” the statement noted pointedly.
Accord stressed that only the National Executive Committee (NEC) under Barrister Maxwell Mgbuden holds the constitutional authority to present candidates for elections at any level, rendering any endorsement by Imumolen’s group not only unauthorised, but entirely without legal basis.
The party called on Nigerians to disregard the Umuahia endorsement entirely, branding it the handiwork of what it called “political merchants” intent on sowing disaffection, discord, and division within the party’s ranks ahead of a critical election cycle.
Accord also took the opportunity to issue a sober warning to journalists, urging media professionals to verify the leadership status of political parties directly with INEC before reporting on endorsements or official party positions.
“Journalists should always verify the leadership of a political party with INEC to avoid misleading citizens who rely on their news reports,” the statement cautioned, a rebuke that implicitly suggests elements of the press amplified the Imumolen delegation’s visit without adequate due diligence.
Despite the embarrassment of the incident, Accord sought to project an image of unity and electoral readiness. The party affirmed that it remains firmly united under the leadership of Chairman Mgbuden and is preparing robustly for the upcoming general elections.
As the 2027 electoral season heats up across Nigeria, the Accord-Otti episode serves as an early cautionary tale, one of political impostors exploiting the fluid and often opaque nature of party affiliations in Nigeria’s complex democratic landscape.
For Governor Otti, the episode raises questions he may need to answer in the days ahead: Was this a failure of vetting, or something else entirely? His office has yet to publicly respond to Accord’s stinging rebuke.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
A group of expelled former members of the Accord Party attempted to pass off an unauthorized endorsement of Abia State Governor Alex Otti as an official party position, and Accord wants everyone to know it means nothing.
Professor Imumolen and his associates lost their membership of Accord in 2024. They had no authority to speak for the party, endorse any candidate on its behalf, or direct any of its state chapters.
The visit to Government House, Umuahia, was, in Accord’s own words, mere political theater, and Governor Otti’s failure to verify who he was receiving reflects poorly on his camp’s political judgment.
Only National Chairman Barrister Maxwell Mgbuden and his NEC hold that power, and they have extended no such backing to Governor Otti.
