Accord Party Endorses Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat for Second Term

Segun James and Sunday Ehigiator

With three days to Saturday’s election, the Accord Party in Lagos State has announced the collapse of its structure for the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The state chairman of the Accord Party in the state, Mr. Dele Oladeji, said the support for Sanwo-Olu, was a testament to his performance in the office which according to him, everybody could also attest to.

Oladeji who spoke on behalf of the party during a media briefing held at Ikeja.

Oladeji also stated that the party would also ensure the victory of all All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly candidates in the state.

Oladeji said, “We have been a credible opposition in Lagos State. Any politician of note always thinks about Accord Party in the State. In previous elections, we have been of advantage to Lagosians.”

He cited the example of 2019, when the party won some House of Representatives seats, adding that he was the candidate of Accord for the House of Representative seat, but some discrepancies according to him occurred then during the election.

He recalled that during the February 25 presidential election, Accord Party endorsed the Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi, adding that people could see the result in the State.

He however noted that similar move was also extended to Lagos State Labour Party for Accord Party to adopt Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as its anointed candidate, but no serious attention was given to the leadership of Accord in the State.

He stressed that the endorsement of Sanwo-Olu was as a result of his performance in office and swift acknowledgment accorded the party by leadership of APC in the state.

“Accord as a party stands as one of the oldest parties in Nigeria which has existed since 2006. We pride ourselves in honesty, goodwill and don’t trade our conscience for money.

“In all honesty, we have never met the governor one on one, even though we have all access to him before we endorsed him.

“With this endorsement, it means that all our party candidates in Lagos State including our governorship candidate, or Peter Obaigbona, and other candidates for the state’s legislative have all agreed to support the APC for both in governorship aspirations and state house of assembly.

“We all agreed to this endorsement as a party. If you see anyone listed as Accord Candidate on the ballot for any position in Lagos State on election day, they are imposters and not from the party.

“We don’t want Lagos State to be blemished, we have to take it back. The Labour Party failed to acknowledge our letter and we therefore wrote letter to APC. I have never met the Governor but the party responded in minutes to our letter.

“We have pledged in our letter that we are mobilizing our party members and candidates to vote and re-elect Sanwo-Olu for second term,” he added.

Speaking in similar vein, the gubernatorial candidate for Accord in the State, Peter Obajuana, said with the endorsement of Sanwo-Olu by his party, “it simply means that I’m stepping down for Governor Sanwo-Olu.”