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By Philip Nwosu
Chairmen of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) across various Local Government Areas in Lagos State have threatened legal action over alleged irregularities in the party’s ongoing congress process, giving the leadership a 48-hour ultimatum to address their concerns.
The aggrieved chairmen, in a petition warned that failure to act promptly would compel them to seek judicial intervention to halt what they described as unconstitutional congresses and protect the party’s constitution.
The petition, addressed to the Chairman of the ADC Congress Committee in Lagos and copied to the party’s national and state leadership, detailed a series of alleged infractions involving unauthorised distribution of nomination forms and sidelining of duly recognised local government executives.
According to the petitioners, incidents of irregularities were recorded across multiple local government areas.
In Ibeju-Lekki, party officials reportedly attempted to obtain nomination forms on April 2, but were unable to meet the designated officer. When they returned the following day, they discovered that the forms had already been collected by unknown individuals without the consent of the local government executive committee.
In Agege, a meeting convened for membership registration allegedly deviated into unrelated discussions involving individuals described as outsiders. The chairman further alleged that his name was appended to documents without his authorisation after he left the meeting.
Similarly, in Lagos Island, individuals said to be inactive in party affairs were accused of taking control of the nomination process, while in Badagry, nomination forms were reportedly collected and distributed without the knowledge of the recognised LGA chairman, disrupting a planned harmonisation exercise.
The petitioners argued that the incidents point to a broader pattern of interference by ‘parallel factions’ allegedly attempting to usurp the authority of the legitimate LGA executives across the state, in violation of the party’s constitution.
They called on the party’s leadership to immediately recall all nomination forms issued to unauthorised persons and reissue them through recognised LGA executives. They also demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged irregularities and a clear directive affirming that only duly constituted LGA leadership can conduct congresses.
The chairmen further insisted that any congress conducted outside these structures should not be recognised by the party.
