Members Accuse Party Chair Of Despotism
By Sola Jacobs
After its failure at the last local government parliamentary election in the state of Osun, crisis has hit the Accord Party as members of the party cut ties with its leadership.
OSUN DEFENDER investigation revealed that the major rift between the members and the leadership of the party is the alleged despotic nature of its chairman, Segun Fanibe in managing the party affairs, particularly in the build up to the last local government poll.
Speaking with the medium via telephone chat, Mr David Olasoji who was the vice chairman of the party said the decision of the members and chieftains of the party in many parts of the state, particularly in eight out of the existing eleven wards in Ife Central Local Government to pull out of the party is not unconnected with the “dictatorial tendency” of the party chairman in the state.
Olasoji alleged that the party failure at the recent local government election is not unconnected with the sole administration of Fanibe and two other officials of the party in the state.
According to him, political party is not a private enterprise, all members must have a say in the party internal democracy and where members are gagged, it amounts to dictatorship, we are not in banana republic.
Also expressing displeasure about the conduct of the Accord Party chairman in the state the public relation officer of the party in Ife Central Local Government, Mr Sunday Alade who also spoke via telephone chat supported the claims of Mr Olasoji that members of Accord Party in Ife Central Local Government precisely in the eight wards out the eleven wards had pulled out of the party for now, but had not joined any other political party.
Mr Alade said the decision is in the best interest of the members and chieftains of the party and the nation’s democracy.
He added that there is need for Hon. Segun Fanibe to learn more about internal party democracy rather than be an autocrat.
Osun Defender made effort to reach the state chairman of Accord Party on the allegations levelled against him, but learnt that he was out of the country.”
Meanwhile, some members of Accord Party in Ile-Ife loyal to Fanibe who spoke with this medium alleged that both All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party had colluded to destroy the party, as its popularity in Ifeland had dwarfed the activities of the two parties.
They added that the result of the rerun of the Osun State House of Assembly election in 2016 had jolted the two parties. Moreso, the current chairman of the party in Osun was one of the vibrant youth leader in PDP and the party thinks he must be fettered unless he comes back to his former fold, the medium investigation gathered.
