Imumolen Backs Tinubu As Accord Stays Off INEC’s 2027 Candidate List
Christopher Imumolen, factional national chairman of the Accord Party and its presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has withdrawn from the 2027 presidential contest and declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term, in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, and circulated by the News Agency of Nigeria.
The withdrawal comes eleven days before the official commencement of presidential campaigns on August 19, 2026, and lands at a moment when the Independent National Electoral Commission’s own published list of contenders does not carry the Accord Party at all.
Imumolen said his decision followed extensive consultations with the leadership of his faction of the party, describing the move as a patriotic sacrifice rather than a political retreat.
“Following my emergence as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party during the duly conducted presidential primaries, I, in consultation with the leadership of the party, made the patriotic decision to withdraw from the presidential race and fully support the re‑election of President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election,” the statement read.
He added, “This decision was not borne out of personal interest, but from a deep conviction that the unity, stability, and continued progress of Nigeria must take precedence over personal political ambition.”
Imumolen listed ten reasons for the endorsement, saying Tinubu’s reform agenda aligns closely with the core objectives of his own manifesto, particularly in economic transformation, education, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, industrialisation and national development.
“His resilience and ability to navigate Nigeria’s complex political and economic landscape demonstrate uncommon courage, determination, and strategic leadership worthy of emulation,” he said.
He further stated, “In Nigeria’s democratic history, President Tinubu has consistently displayed extraordinary political wisdom, foresight, and nation‑building capacity that have produced transformational leaders across the country,” adding that “his commitment to sustaining progressive governance through purposeful leadership, institutional reforms, and continuity provides confidence in Nigeria’s long‑term growth and stability.”
According to the statement, Tinubu had also shown a remarkable ability to identify capable individuals, build consensus, promote national unity and take difficult decisions in the national interest. Imumolen expressed the belief that the President is uniquely positioned to provide a seamless transition between the founding generation of Nigeria’s democratic leadership and an emerging generation of transformational leaders.
He acknowledged that the economy remains under strain, but said he was convinced that Tinubu’s policy direction, fiscal discipline and decisive leadership would reposition Nigeria for sustainable prosperity.
Official data offer a mixed backdrop to that assessment. The National Bureau of Statistics put headline inflation at 15.91 per cent in June 2026, marginally lower than the 15.93 per cent recorded in May, while food inflation, the heaviest component of the basket, rose for a fifth straight month to 17.52 per cent from 16.96 per cent. On the currency, the naira opened the year at about ₦1,431 to the dollar in January and traded around ₦1,384 by the end of June, one of the steadier stretches since the exchange rate reforms of 2023. Growth projections for 2026 cluster between roughly 3.8 and 4.6 per cent.
The central complication in the announcement is a matter of public record. On Saturday, August 1, 2026, INEC published the personal particulars and credentials of 19 presidential candidates and their running mates in fulfilment of Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2026. The Accord Party was not among them.
The commission’s list shows President Tinubu contesting on the All Progressives Congress platform with Vice President Kashim Shettima; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as candidate of the African Democratic Congress with former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi as running mate; former Anambra State governor Peter Obi as candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress with former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate; Senator Sandy Onor for the Peoples Democratic Party; and Omoyele Sowore for the African Action Congress.
Absent from the list, alongside Accord, were former President Goodluck Jonathan, whose nomination papers were reportedly submitted by a faction of the PDP led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, and businessman Gbenga Olawepo‑Hashim, who had laid claim to the Accord ticket after being announced by one arm of the party on May 31, 2026. The Accord Party had earlier stated that it would not field a presidential candidate for 2027 because none of its aspirants met the nomination deadline.
The dispute over who speaks for Accord has been running for close to two years and remains before the courts, with both sides holding firm positions.
The leadership recognised on INEC’s records is led by Maxwell Mgbudem, who says he emerged at a national convention held in Abuja on July 28, 2024 under the supervision of the commission. Mgbudem has repeatedly stated that Imumolen was expelled from the party following the recommendations of a seven man disciplinary committee, ratified by the National Executive Committee on November 20, 2024.
“There is no faction in Accord. I am the authentic National Chairman duly elected at a properly constituted national convention and recognised by INEC,” Mgbudem said at a press conference in December 2025.
Imumolen has consistently rejected that account, insisting that subsisting court orders affirm his leadership. He led a protest at INEC headquarters in Abuja on April 21, 2026, where he told reporters, “Court orders are meant to be obeyed, not ignored, not delayed and certainly not selectively applied.” He also said, “We have submitted numerous letters and court proceedings to INEC, yet their website still reflects another person as chairman. Justice delayed is justice denied.”
The Mgbudem camp responded two days later, describing the demonstration as “a poorly scripted show” and saying the order Imumolen relied on was an ex parte order obtained on August 3, 2024 and vacated by the FCT High Court the following month. “For the avoidance of doubt, there is no leadership dispute or faction in Accord, and there is no court order in favour of Imumolen or anybody for INEC to comply with,” Mgbudem said.
Withdrawal in favour of a stronger contender is a familiar feature of Nigerian politics. At the APC presidential primary of June 2022, six aspirants stepped down in favour of Tinubu during their final speeches. At the PDP primary in May 2022, Sokoto governor Aminu Tambuwal withdrew and directed his delegates to Atiku Abubakar. Three of four aspirants at the Labour Party primary stepped down for Peter Obi. Imumolen himself emerged as Accord’s 2023 nominee on June 4, 2022 by voice vote after all other aspirants stepped aside.
His 2023 outing was modest in electoral terms. At 39 he was the youngest of the 18 candidates on the ballot, having joined Accord on January 30, 2021. Publicly compiled records of the declaration credit the Accord ticket with roughly 61,000 votes, about 0.25 per cent of the 24,025,940 valid votes cast from 93,469,008 registered voters at a turnout of 26.71 per cent. Tinubu won with 8,794,726 votes, ahead of Atiku Abubakar on 6,984,520 and Peter Obi on 6,101,533.
The 2027 cycle is running on a compressed calendar. President Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2026 on February 18, 2026, prompting INEC to issue a revised timetable on February 26 that moved the presidential and National Assembly polls from February 20 to Saturday, January 16, 2027, with governorship and state assembly elections on February 6, 2027. Party primaries ran from April 23 to May 30, 2026, presidential nomination forms were filed between June 27 and July 11, and the register of voters is due for publication on December 15, 2026.
Of the 22 political parties on INEC’s register, 19 will appear on the presidential ballot. Whether Wednesday’s endorsement carries any structure with it will depend less on the statement itself than on the unresolved question of who holds the Accord platform, a matter still sitting with the courts and with the commission.