The leadership crisis rocking the Ondo State chapter of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) deepened on Thursday as the Caretaker Committee set up by a faction of the group and the embattled chairman, Chief Ayo Isijola, engaged in a verbal war.
The committee told Isijola to vacate his office but the embattled chairman replied that it did not have the power to remove him.
A factional group with the state CNPP and headed by former secretary, Prince Femi Ajibola, maintained that Isijola is no longer the chairman of CNPP.
The Ajibola faction had, in May, announced Isijola’s impeachment over alleged corrupt practices and set up a five-man Caretaker Committee to oversee the affairs of the Conference for six months within which an election would be held.
In a letter sent to Isijola, signed by the Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Mr Olusola Adeniyi, and made available to reporters in Akure, the Committee directed the Chairman to leave the office and handover all properties of the Conference in his custody to it.
The letter read: “ I am directed by the Ondo State CNPP General Assembly, in her meeting held on May 26, 2013, to refer to CNPP resolution of May 2, 2013 where change of leadership was effected and a Caretaker Committee of five persons headed by Chief (Mrs) Yemisi Aladesaiye replaced your good self in office, whereby, you ceased to function as Ondo State CNPP effective from May 3, 2013, and which decision has been communicated to you variously”.
The Committee then warned Isijola, in the interest of peace, to obey the instruction, saying it had sent copies of the letter to security agencies in the state as well as the South/West Zonal office of the CNPP.
But Isijola, who confirmed receipt of the letter, said he remains the authentic chairman.
“I resume in this office everyday and I am yet to see anyone of them to come here for a meeting. Does a secretary to the government sack the government? It is not possible. I saw the letter but before the letter, they said they were coming to hold the impeachment meeting in this place. This place was opened for them to come and do their meeting but they did not. They are not our members.
“Prince Ajibola and two other members of the Executive have been suspended by the CNPP for allegedly doing what was against the ethics of the Conference. When Ajibola was suspended, another secretary in the person of Hon. Lawrence Kehinde, was appointed to replace him”.
