There is a row between the leadership of the African Democratic Party, ADP, under the national leadership of Chief Raphs Nwosu and the committee in Ondo State led by Hon. Ademola Ijabiyi.
At a news conference in Akure, the state capital, at the weekend, Ijabiyi noted that there had been harmonisation in virtually all the states, but not at its national level.
According to him,” On January 23, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo announced the formation of Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM). On May 10, the movement adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its party platform and its members except Obasanjo moved into the party.”
Ijabiyi said the CNM had established its structures from the state to the ward level in all the local government areas of Ondo State, with him as the state coordinator.
After the adoption, he said the new ADC began the process of harmonising the leadership of the old ADC with that of the CNM, stressing that the process went well, following the voluntary resignation of the old ADC chairman who conceded the position to him and accepted to become the deputy chairman.
Ijabiyi said, “Harmonisation has taken place in all the states but curiously, there has been no harmonisation at the national level. This has left the control of the party in the hands of the old ADC national executive committee under the chairmanship of Chief Nwosu.
“This to us is an abnormal situation as the CNM is far bigger than the old ADC in membership strength. Nwosu was expected to have resigned his position as chairman even before the adoption of ADC, latest on the day of adoption. But to date he has refused to do so.
“With control by the old ADC, the new ADC is being run as if it exclusively belongs to Nwosu. Here in Ondo State for example, he reinstated the chairman that resigned and shoved me aside as chairman. This has led to some tension in the party. We were still on this controversy when on August 4, Nwosu announced the setting up of an 11-man congress committee to conduct congresses from the ward to the state level in Ondo State from August 25 to 28.