Confusion trails ADC suspension of Ekiti ex-deputy governor candidate
By Boye Oyeyemi
The African Democratic Congress in Ekiti State has been plunged into deep internal turmoil following contradictory declarations by opposing party factions regarding the purported suspension of its former deputy governorship candidate, Chief Ayodeji Babatola.
Trouble started when the Ward 9 Executive Committee in Ado Local Government announced Babatola’s immediate suspension over a catalogue of alleged anti-party activities and grave official misconduct.
Detailing the grievances, ward chairman Abdul Jimoh accused the former candidate of actively discouraging party loyalists from attending a recent high-profile rally convened in support of presidential aspirant Atiku Abubakar.
Adding to the list of infractions, ward secretary Abdul Latifa Motunrayo stated that Babatola persistently skipped ward meetings, diverted crucial campaign logistics, promoted factionalism, retrieved donated benches after missing out on a campaign appointment, and ordered the destruction of official promotional banners.
Consequently, the ward leadership declared that the suspension strictly barred Babatola from participating in any official activities, attending party meetings, or occupying any organizational role pending further review.
Strongly rejecting the disciplinary measure, Babatola insisted that the ward executives lacked any constitutional authority to suspend him because their tenure had officially lapsed following the appointment of state caretaker committees.
Intervening in the feud, the Ekiti State Caretaker Committee’s publicity secretary, Oluwole Akindele, swiftly dismissed the suspension as illegal, unconstitutional, null, and void, explaining that the ward executive body had already been dissolved by National Chairman Senator David Mark.
Reaffirming Babatola’s full standing within the organization, the caretaker committee passed a formal vote of confidence in him and urged all members to completely disregard the unauthorized sanction.
