An Accord Party governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Fatai A. Owoseni, has announced his withdrawal from the race, citing deepening internal crisis, alleged infiltration of the party structure, and rising insecurity concerns within the political process.

The former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, in a statement shared on his Facebook account and addressed to supporters and party members on Tuesday, said he decided with a “heavy but resolute heart,” while also extending greetings to residents of the state and praying for a peaceful Eid al-Kabir celebration.

The former Special Adviser on Security Matters to Oyo State government expressed condolences to families affected by a recent attack in Ogbomoso, noting that his thoughts were with the victims who were killed and those still in captivity.

While acknowledging the sensitivity of the security situation, he said he was compelled to speak out due to developments within the Accord Party that, according to him, had made his continued participation in the governorship race untenable.

He alleged that there were “orchestrated plans” to undermine his ambition within the party.

He said, “within the past twelve hours, ongoing developments in the party point to orchestrated plans to ensure that our gubernatorial aspiration via the platform of the Accord Party is not achieved.”

Owoseni further claimed that he initially ignored warning signs but was eventually forced to act due to what he described as two major concerns: alleged infiltration of the party structure at the state level and the use of violence and thuggery to destabilise the political process.

He stated that these issues, among others, informed his decision to step aside from the race.

“In light of the foregoing and some other issues that will be unveiled in due course, I’m compelled to withdraw and step aside from the Accord Party,” he said.