Leadership Crisis Rocks Ondo Factional ADC

By Ayodele Oni

The leadership crisis in the Ondo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deepened on Tuesday, as Olaide Rasheed Ibraheem, declared that he remains the authentic State Chairman of the party.

He has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the national leadership to correct constitutional breaches and demanded his immediate reinstatement.

Ibraheem alleged that on November 28, 2024, he was removed from office by the National Chairman of the party, Mr. Raphael Nwosu, in what he described as an embarrassing and unceremonious manner.

The national leadership of ADC constitutionally recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is Led by former Senate President, David Mark.

Addressing journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital,  Ibraheem explained that he emerged as ADC State Chairman through a duly conducted state congress held on October 7, 2020, with security agencies in attendance and without rancour.

He added that since his assumption into office, no other state congress has been conducted in Ondo State.

The ADC Chairman further disclosed that he solely financed the party’s activities in the state, noting that there were no political office holders or subvention to support the party during his tenure.

According to him, the affairs of the party were conducted strictly in line with ADC constitution.

He insisted that the action was unconstitutional and violated the principle of party supremacy as provided in Article 2 of the party’s constitution.

The ADC Chairman further argued that the ADC constitution does not empower the National Chairman to remove a duly elected state chairman, accusing Nwosu of acting ultra vires by unilaterally dissolving state and local government executives without due process or recourse to the party’s constitution.

The Chairman stated that he delayed making the issue public in the hope that well-meaning elders of the party would persuade the National Chairman to reverse what he termed a grave mistake, noting that no corrective step has been taken.

He also accused the party’s national leadership of ignoring Article 18 of the constitution by failing to convene any congress before taking actions capable of throwing the Ondo State chapter into crisis.

Ibraheem warned that failure to reinstate him, alongside the state and local government executives removed in November 2024, within 14 days, would compel the affected leaders to take further steps to seek redress.

He called on the national leadership of the ADC to urgently take corrective measures to restore constitutional order and prevent an internal impasse within the Ondo State chapter of the party.