ADC factional Stakeholders Reject Aregbesola’s Appointment as National Secretary

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Factional key stakeholders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have rejected the appointment of former Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as the party’s interim National Secretary, describing the move as illegitimate and a violation of the party’s constitution.

The stakeholders led by Musa Isa Matara, National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, alongside some youth leaders, women leaders, state party executives, and ward coordinators nationwide rejected Aregbesola’s appointment.

In a statement issued by Mantra, they declared that the so-called appointment has no legitimacy and violates the party’s constitution.

The statement said: “Who appointed Gov. Aregbesola? Which organ of the ADC ratified this appointment? Was the National Executive Committee (NEC) involved? Were state chairmen, youth leaders, or elected national officers consulted? If the answer is no as it clearly is then this ‘appointment’ is null and void.”

They further punctured Aregbesola’s claim that the ADC has become the new platform for a National Opposition Coalition, describing the narrative as misleading and disrespectful to the millions of grassroots members who were never consulted.

“Our party is not a private platform to be hijacked by any elite group, no matter how polished their speeches sound. The ADC has structures, organs, and constitutional guidelines none of which were respected in this announcement,” the statement read.

They also warned that the party’s lingering post-2023 legal disputes have not been resolved, making any coalition built on such a shaky foundation both “irresponsible and self-destructive.”

“We call on those trooping in under this chaotic coalition to tread carefully. Some individuals are attempting to sell out the soul of our party for personal gain. The ADC is not for sale,” Dr. Matara stressed.

They said Aregbesola’s speech about internal democracy and ideological discipline was contradicted by the very process that produced him as ‘Interim Secretary.’

“Democracy cannot begin with imposition. The ADC must not become another replica of the broken parties we seek to replace,” the statement read.

They also questioned why the youth and women wings of the party were excluded from such a crucial decision, calling it a clear sign that the move is just another top-down political arrangement disguised as reform.

The group said: “We are not against coalitions or reforms, but we are against hijack, imposition, and elite speeches masking personal agendas. Until a legitimate National Convention or NEC ratifies any leadership changes, no one has the moral or legal right to speak for our party nationally.”

They urged genuine ADC members nationwide to reject what they see as an attempt to hijack the party and to defend its grassroots-driven, people-powered identity.