ADC South-west Leadership Backs Aregbesola Against Removal Bid
The South-west leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has publicly endorsed National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, rejecting a petition calling for his removal and asserting that the petitioners are not recognised leaders of the party in the region. At a meeting of recognised national and zonal officers held in the South-west, officials including National Director of Communication and Strategy Olatunji Shelle, Zonal Organising Secretary Omolara Oseni, Deputy National Financial Secretary Oladimeji Fabiyi, Deputy National Woman Leader Kafila Olayiwola, Zonal Woman Leader Lydia Olafunmiloye, and Bode Ojerinde unanimously dismissed allegations that Aregbesola manipulated party structures or influenced candidate emergence, calling the claims false and misleading. Aregbesola, a former Osun State governor (2010-2018) and former Minister of Interior (2019-2023), is described as the highest-ranking ADC figure in the zone. The communique, signed by South-west National Vice Chairman Akinbowale Omole, stressed that decisions on congresses, primaries and candidate nominations belong to the National Executive Committee, not the National Secretary alone, and labelled the petition baseless. The leadership warned that individuals impersonating recognised leaders must stop or risk the party disclosing details of their meetings. The development underscores ongoing internal disputes within the ADC as it prepares for the 2027 general elections, with Chairman David Mark seeking to consolidate the party after recent legal battles. For observers, the episode highlights the fragility of ADC's unity in the South-west—a key electoral battleground—and signals that internal cohesion will be a critical factor in the party's prospects nationwide.