Osun Guber poll: Oyebamiji meets S/West APC leaders

Meanwhile, the South-West leadership of the African Democratic Congress has rallied behind the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, dismissing allegations against him as false and insisting that the National Executive Committee, not the National Secretary, approved the party’s South-West candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The zonal leadership, led by the party’s National Vice Chairman (South-West), Akinbowale Omole, issued the clarification after a meeting of recognised national and zonal officers from the region, describing those behind the allegations as “disgruntled elements” loyal to a former minister, Kachikwu Ibe, and a federal lawmaker, Leke Abejide, who recently lost a legal battle at the Court of Appeal.

In a statement issued on Monday, Omole said the meeting was attended by himself; the National Director of Communication and Strategy, Capt. Olatunji Shelle; the Zonal Organising Secretary, Mrs Omolara Oseni; the Deputy National Financial Secretary, Hon. Oladimeji Fabiyi; the Deputy National Woman Leader, Alhaja Kafila Olayiwola; the Zonal Woman Leader, Mrs Lydia Olafunmiloye; and Dr Bode Ojerinde, among other party officials.

In a communiqué signed by Omole, the zonal leadership rejected a petition purportedly written by individuals claiming to represent the ADC in the South-West and calling for Aregbesola’s removal as National Secretary.

“Our attention has been drawn to a petition addressed to our National Chairman, Sen. David Mark, calling for the removal of our National Secretary. This petition was authored by certain individuals parading themselves as leaders of the party in the South-West, a claim not recognised by the party’s national leadership”, the statement said.

The leadership said the petitioners were the same individuals who previously dragged the party to court after rejecting several reconciliation efforts.

“We consider it necessary to place the facts on record. “First, these are the same individuals who dragged the party to court despite repeated efforts at reconciliation, which they rebuffed. Second, the allegations against the National Secretary are baseless, unsubstantiated, and misleading”, the statement added.

The South-West leadership argued that the allegations ignored the constitutional role of the National Secretary, stressing that he merely implements decisions taken by the party’s highest organs.

“Thirdly, it defies logic that the National Secretary, who serves as the party’s chief accounting officer and is saddled with the responsibility of carrying out party decisions as may be determined, from time to time, by the party’s highest organ, would be accused of establishing parallel structures or manipulating the outcome of the primaries.

“They failed to tell the public that, in line with the provisions of the ADC Constitution, the National Executive Committee of the party duly approved the outcome of the primaries before the names of candidates were forwarded to INEC. The composition of the primaries committees, the conduct of the primaries, and the management of the outcomes are decisions of the National Executive Committee of the party and not that of the National Secretary”, it added.

The statement maintained that the individuals behind the petition neither represent the party’s recognised leadership in the South-West nor have the authority to speak on its behalf.

“The ADC in the South-West knows its leaders and definitely not those who issued the false and disparaging statement. They have followed the wrong path and have burnt their fingers. They should be humble enough to retrace their steps and come under the constituted authority of the party. We will not submit the affairs of this party to rascals”, the party leadership said.

According to the zonal leadership, those now accusing Aregbesola were themselves responsible for violating the party’s constitution during congresses and primary elections.

“It bears noting that those now making these accusations are the same persons who disregarded party directives and breached the party constitution during congresses and primaries, only to turn around and accuse the National Secretary of the very conduct they themselves engaged in. Their recent actions reflect frustration at having failed to destabilise the party from within — an effort the National Secretary firmly resisted”, it said.

The group reaffirmed that the ADC’s recognised South-West leadership remains under Omole and warned those claiming to represent the zone to desist from what it described as impersonation.

“We wish to restate, unambiguously, that the party’s South-West zonal leadership remains under Rt. Hon. Akinbowale Omole, National Vice Chairman of the party, a seasoned party stalwart and respected public figure. We urge these individuals to desist from impersonating party leadership. Should this continue, we will be compelled to make public the details of certain meetings held with groups opposed to the leadership of Sen. David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola”, it warned.