Concerned stakeholders and leaders within the Lagos State African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday appointed Prince Lekan Bada as acting Chairman of the party, passing a vote-of-no confidence on Mr George Ashiru-led exco in the state.
The ADC Local Government Area Chairmen Forum among other stakeholders within the party disclosed this to newsmen after an emergency stakeholders meeting in Ikeja.
Speaking, Primate Adewole Ijaogbomo, the Convener of the group and the Chairman of Lagos ADC LGA Chairmen Forum said that ADC was having its teething problems both at the national and state levels after the 2023 election which has made many to leave the party.
Ijaogbomo said that the State Working Committee had met after the March 18 Governorship election in the state and dissolved the Ashiru-led exco on March 23 in order to push a way forward.
“This emergency meeting was summoned by stakeholders of ADC to look at the state of the party after all misgivings and misunderstanding that cost us a lot during the last polls.
“Everybody has been working at cross purposes before, during and after the election. Having passed a vote-of-no confidence on Ashiru-led exco, we today unanimously endorse and appoint Prince Lekan Bada as acting State Chairman.
“We have put heads together and put aside our differences after the polls as stakeholders.
“We have gathered various stakeholders here including 16 ADC LGA chairmen out of 20 while the others gave apologies,” he said.
According to him, the eight-member Bada-led caretaker committee also has Messrs Ademola Oladimeji (Deputy Chairman), John Oladipupo (Secretary), Clement Elemi (Organising Secretary), Michael Broddie-Mends (Public Relation Officer), Amos Oladipupo (Youth Leader), Mr Abiola Akinwunmi (Woman Leader), and Prince Bola Adeleke (Treasurer).
Speaking, Bada, a former State Financial Secretary of the party, who commended the party’s stakeholders for finding him worthy of the post, promised to reconcile all the aggrrieved members who had been lost to other political parties due to various misgivings.
According to him, effort will be made to get a befitting State Secretariat for the party and ensure everybody is brought on board.
He said all the allegations against the outgone exco that led to the poor performance at the election would be addressed by his committee, with high premium placed on the rule of law.
Bada said: “I am not coming to create division but to unite and put the party together. I will be committed to rebuilding the image of the party for future elections.
“I have immediately created a reconciliatory committee to appease all aggrieved members who have left for the Labour Party, National Rescue Movement, Peoples Democratic Party and others. We need to call, beg and bring everybody together.
“My goal is to set up a structure that can win elections. It is no longer a business as usual. We want to win elections. We don’t want any sell out again.
“We want all our members to know that this is a new dawn. We know their plights and complaints. We are going to listen to all yearnings in all the 20 LGAs.”
He said that as the party’s pioneer chairman for Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA, he had got experience to run the party and reposition it.
Meanwhile, Ashiru, in his reaction told newsmen on phone that his exco members were not aware of the said emergency meeting and the alleged dissolution of state exco.
Affirming that he remained the ADC Chairman in the state, Ashiru said that the purported meeting perhaps was called by former party members that had decamped to other political parties.
“If the state exco will be dissolved, there are party rules and regulations. They are not recognised by the State Working Committee nor by the party at the national level,” Ashiru said.
He said that the party at the national level would respond at appropriate time.
