Turbulence hits Oyo ADC as rival groups vie for control of membership panel

Adeola Badru reports that a leadership crisis is currently affecting the Oyo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress, with two factions claiming leadership of the Membership Revalidation and Membership Registration Committee ahead of the ongoing membership exercise in the state.

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The state leadership of the party reaffirmed Mr Ayo Akinyemi as the duly recognised chairman of the committee on yesterday, dismissing claims by another camp that a separate committee had been constituted, according to a clarification issued by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Barrister Bimpe Adelowo.

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The clarification was made during a press conference held at the ADC Secretariat in Mokola, Ibadan, where Adelowo stated that Mr Ayo Akinyemi and Professor Folake Tafita are the recognised chairman and secretary of the MRMR Committee in Oyo State, respectively.

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The development follows an earlier announcement by Bisi Ilaka, a former Chief of Staff to Governor Seyi Makinde, who unveiled the names of ten additional members of what he described as his committee during a press briefing at the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Monday.

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Responding to the development, Adelowo insisted that the only committee recognised by the party’s national leadership is the one headed by Akinyemi, which was formally inaugurated on February 12, 2026, in Abuja.

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According to Adelowo, the committee was properly constituted with representatives from the three senatorial districts in the state and mandated to conduct the membership revalidation and registration exercise, with no other committee saddled with this function in Oyo State.

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Adelowo explained that the committee was structured to ensure balanced representation across the state’s three senatorial districts, with three members drawn from each district alongside the chairman and secretary serving as principal officers.

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The composition of the committee reflects the party’s inclusiveness, as members were drawn from different political tendencies, including the Labour Party, the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, and the ADC, as well as individuals who are not indigenes of the state, according to Adelowo.

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Adelowo noted that the party is not religiously or ethnically biased, saying “It’s a party that cuts across all sectors.

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She called on individuals engaging in parallel activities relating to the membership exercise to desist and instead support the officially constituted structure of the party, adding that anyone doing something else should conserve their energy and come back to the fold.

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Adelowo stated that the party had already established structures across the 33 local government areas of the state and had recorded notable progress in strengthening its grassroots presence, with local government chairmen of the party being beckoned to submit the names of members to the party.

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Only constituted authorities have the power to request the names of members, not somebody who has not been given any responsibility, she said.

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Adelowo invited prospective members to join the party as preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying the party uses this opportunity to encourage all prospective members to join and uplift the party to deliver Oyo State for ADC in 2027.

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The party had taken proactive steps to prepare members for the revalidation and registration exercise even before the formal inauguration of the MRMR Committee, according to Adelowo, who added that the party is a business-minded party.

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The MRMR Committee inaugurated in Abuja had been given a one-month mandate to conduct the exercise across the state, and by the time the mandate elapses, many members must have been registered, Adelowo said.

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Adelowo commended the cooperation of the party chairmen across the 33 local government areas of the state, describing the turnout of members for the ongoing exercise as encouraging, with the MRMR Committee chaired by Comrade Ayo Akinyemi and Professor Folake Tafita serving as secretary.

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Other members of the committee include Prince Fatai Adewale Ladigbolu, Hon Olusola Alade, and Asiwaju Kunle Adeogun Mutairu representing Oyo South, while Alhaji Biliaminu Onifade, Alhaji Kabir Adesiyan, and Mrs Juliana Igwe represent Oyo Central.

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Members representing Oyo North are Hon Kolawole Ogunleye, Ilufemiloye Daniel Oladele, and Dr Adebowale Oke, according to the committee’s composition.

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Providing further insight into the progress of the exercise, the Chairman of the MRMR Committee, Ayo Akinyemi, said the membership revalidation and registration exercise had been progressing steadily across the state since the committee was inaugurated on February 12, 2026.

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Akinyemi explained that the committee moved swiftly to establish structures at the grassroots level by inaugurating MRMR committees in all the 33 local government areas on February 16, and on February 21, 2026, the State MRMR Committee organised a comprehensive training session for representatives from all the 33 local government areas.

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During the training, participants were taken through the procedures, guidelines, and operational processes for the membership revalidation and registration exercise to ensure uniformity, transparency, and efficiency across the state, Akinyemi said.

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Before the official online registration portal became operational, local government committees were directed to begin manual registration in collaboration with party officers to ensure that interested members were not delayed, according to Akinyemi.

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Following the activation of the online portal on March 1, the committee directed local MRMR committees to establish flexible registration stations to assist members encountering difficulties with the online process, Akinyemi said.

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These stations were designed to assist members who may encounter challenges with the online process, particularly those without Android-enabled smartphones or adequate internet access, he explained.

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Akinyemi said participation in the exercise had improved significantly after a moderate turnout in the early days, with situation reports from across the 33 local government areas indicating a significant increase in participation in recent days.

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He, however, identified some challenges affecting participation, including the lack of National Identification Numbers among some prospective members and limited smartphone access in rural communities, saying a number of individuals willing to register currently do not possess National Identification Numbers.

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Additionally, many rural dwellers do not own Android-enabled phones, which has created some barriers to online participation, Akinyemi said.

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The committee had deployed trained volunteers and party officials to assist residents in rural communities while intensifying public awareness campaigns through flyers, radio publicity, social media engagement, and the circulation of audio and video campaign materials, according to Akinyemi.

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These coordinated efforts are already yielding positive results as awareness continues to grow and more citizens are registering to become members of the African Democratic Congress, Akinyemi said.