A fresh crisis has erupted in the African Democratic Congress, ADC, as Southwest leaders of the party have accused its National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, of allegedly working as a mole for President Bola Tinubu and undermining the party’s chances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The stakeholders, operating under the banner of ADC Southwest Stakeholders, accused the former Osun State governor of engaging in anti-party activities, manipulating the party’s internal processes and promoting the interests of his political associates at the expense of the ADC.
They also alleged that Aregbesola and former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, belonged to the same political camp, claiming that Fayemi nominated Omole as Aregbesola’s Southwest National Vice Chairman.
Fayemi had on Wednesday public declared his support for Tinubu’s second-term reelection bid.
In a statement signed by Felix Ogunwale, ADC Southwest Chief Special Adviser; Yinka Olona, Head of Directorates; Olufemi Soluade, Ogun State Chairman; Abideen Okandeji, Osun State Chairman; Ilesanmi Omolayo, Ekiti State Chairman; and Wole Ademoyegun, Ondo State Chairman, the group called on the national leadership to immediately suspend Aregbesola as National Secretary.
The group alleged that Aregbesola had compromised his position by working more as an ally of Tinubu than a loyal officer of the ADC, insisting that his activities were weakening the party’s structures in the Southwest.
The stakeholders accused him of colluding with some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allegedly manipulate the substitution of National Assembly candidates on July 14, 2026, the deadline for uploading candidates’ names.
According to the group, Aregbesola allegedly used the opportunity to replace candidates who emerged through INEC-monitored primaries with members of his Omoluabi Progressive group.
They also accused him of plunging the party into a financial crisis during its membership registration exercise by allegedly misleading the national leadership on the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, which they claimed provided for electronic membership registration.
The stakeholders said the printing of physical registration materials and their alleged distribution to members of Aregbesola’s political group contributed to the poor membership registration recorded by the party in the region.
They further accused the former governor of usurping the responsibilities of the National Organising Secretary by setting up parallel primary election committees across the Southwest and submitting their names to INEC.
The development, they alleged, exposed the party to unnecessary litigation and deepened the divisions within its ranks.
The group also accused Aregbesola of running a parallel political structure through his splinter group, allegedly organising meetings outside established party channels and bypassing ward, local government and state leadership.
It claimed that during the sale of nomination forms, members of his group were given preferential treatment, while other influential party members were denied access despite their capacity to deliver electoral victories for the ADC.
The stakeholders also blamed Aregbesola for the party’s poor performance in the recent governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, alleging that he handpicked his preferred candidates instead of allowing a democratic process.
In Ekiti, the ADC reportedly secured 12,872 votes, representing 3.4 per cent of valid votes cast in the June 20, 2026 election, while in Osun, it polled 17,180 votes, representing 1.7 per cent, in the August 15, 2026 election.
The group argued that the poor results reflected the consequences of internal divisions and the alleged imposition of candidates.
Questioning Aregbesola’s political loyalty, the stakeholders said he was more interested in protecting his political interests and recovering lost relevance in Osun and Lagos states than strengthening the ADC.
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