The Ondo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Ade Adetimehin, has denied the allegation that he unilaterally removed a ward chairman.
He was accused of removing Mr Wole Ogunji, Ward 2 Chairman in Ode-Aye in the Okitipupa Local Government Area (LGA) without consulting stakeholders and other leaders of the party in the area.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akure on Sunday, Adetimehin said that he had no power to remove or replace any ward chairman.
“In my usual manner, when an issue like this comes up, I restrain myself from joining issues with them.
“I do not have that power. INEC is the supervising empire and whatever name you have with INEC, the same thing name must be in the party secretariat. You can come over and verify,” he said.
However, a petition signed by Mr Diran Iyantan and 15 other party leaders from the ward, alleged that they got information that the ward chairman’s name had been removed from the list of Ward 2 executives by Adetimehin .
He was said to have replaced it with Ajimiraye Omoboyewa from Odofin Unit 02 of Ode-Aye Ward 2 without consultation with the ward leaders.
They cautioned him not to ignite unnecessary tension and chaos in the ward, pointing out that it could lead to party loyalists pulling out of the party because of perceived injustice.
The petitioners implored the party’s major stakeholders to call the state chairman to order and correct the anomaly without delay to avert civil unrest among party members in Ode-Aye Ward 2.
They pointed out that a copy of the petition had been sent to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. (NAN)
