Accord Picks Imumolen for 2027 Presidency Amid Factional Rift

​ABUJA — The Accord Party has officially elected Prof. Christopher Imumolen as its consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, signaling an early escalation in the race for the nation’s highest office.

​The decision was reached during the party’s National Presidential Primary Election held in Lagos, drawing delegates from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

​Consensus and Youth Backing

​In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the National Secretary of the Accord Party, Muktar Abdullah, described Imumolen’s emergence as a unified decision spanning regional and generational lines. He emphasized that the candidacy is heavily propelled by the party’s youth demographic, who view Imumolen as the vanguard of modern Nigerian leadership.

​”Prof. Imumolen joins the 2027 race with enhanced experience, solidified grassroots structures, and unyielding national appeal. He is a high-capacity leader possessing the visionary skills required to fix Nigeria’s systemic issues,” Abdullah stated.

​Imumolen, who was the youngest presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, expressed gratitude to the delegates in his acceptance speech. He promised an inclusive, issue-driven campaign aimed at structural economic reforms.

​”The primary has been successfully conducted and I have rightfully emerged as the candidate for Accord,” Imumolen said. “The list will now be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and we await their official publication of candidates later this September.”

​If cleared by the electoral umpire, Imumolen pledged that his administration would directly confront pervasive insecurity, combat unemployment, and overhaul the nation’s economic architecture to lift millions out of poverty.

​A House Divided?

​Despite the optimism surrounding Imumolen’s declaration, the development underscores a brewing internal crisis within the political platform.

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​Earlier, a parallel faction of the Accord Party announced businessman and former presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as its own standard-bearer for the 2027 polls. The emergence of two consensus candidates from separate factions sets the stage for a potential legal and administrative battle over the control of the party’s ticket ahead of INEC’s September deadline.

​The Accord Party leadership has urged professionals and the youth populace to rally behind Imumolen, promising to unveil a comprehensive socio-economic manifesto in the coming weeks.