By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The Ogun State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed allegations of financial misconduct and abuse of office levelled against its State Chairman, Otunba Olufemi Soluade, describing the claims as baseless, misleading and unsupported by available evidence.

The party said a comprehensive review of the allegations, petitions and relevant records found no evidence of wrongdoing against Soluade or members of the State Working Committee.

Speaking at a press conference held at the party secretariat in Itoko, Abeokuta, the Director-General of the Directorate of Media, Communication and Publicity of the party, Mr. Adesina Olanrewaju, said the accusations were aimed at discrediting the leadership of the party in the state.

According to him, “the allegations against the State Chairman and his team are misleading, unfounded and do not reflect the true facts surrounding the issues raised. After reviewing all available records and documents, we found no evidence of financial impropriety or misconduct.”

Olanrewaju noted that the petitioners had been inconsistent in their position, alleging that while they publicly recognised Soluade as the duly elected and recognised chairman of the party in Ogun State, they were simultaneously attempting to create what he described as an unconstitutional parallel structure within the party.

“It is contradictory to recognise a chairman and at the same time seek to undermine his office through alternative leadership arrangements outside the constitutionally recognised organs of the party,” he said.

Addressing allegations that funds paid by aspirants for nomination forms were diverted, the party maintained that all payments were made into the ADC National Secretariat’s designated Zenith Bank account and were used strictly for the purchase of nomination forms.

The party stated that payment records, receipts and confirmations were available to substantiate the transactions.

Olanrewaju explained that some aspirants opted to route their payments through the state chairman because Soluade was at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja between May 10 and May 17 to facilitate the procurement of nomination forms for aspirants from Ogun State.

The party also shed light on issues surrounding the distribution of nomination forms, alleging that Mr. Oladimeji Fabiyi, who identifies himself as the Deputy National Financial Secretary of the ADC, obtained an initial batch of forms from the National Secretariat but failed to release the majority of them despite repeated interventions by party officials.

According to the party, only about 10 of approximately 50 forms obtained were eventually released, creating challenges for aspirants as the deadline for obtaining nomination forms approached.

The ADC further alleged that the actions of a parallel group within the party disrupted preparations for presidential primary elections in the state.

The party also questioned the credibility of some individuals listed as signatories to the petition, claiming that a verification exercise revealed that several of the names were not recognised as registered card-carrying members of the party in Ogun State.

“These findings raise serious concerns about the authenticity of the petition and the motives behind it,” Olanrewaju stated.

Reaffirming confidence in Soluade’s leadership, the party said the chairman remained committed to transparency, accountability and the strengthening of party structures across Ogun State.

It disclosed that a detailed report on the matter had been forwarded to the offices of the ADC National Chairman and the National Organising Secretary for documentation and any further action deemed necessary.

The party urged members, stakeholders and the general public to disregard what it described as misinformation capable of causing division within its ranks.

“We remain focused on repositioning the party for future electoral contests and strengthening our structures across the state. Our commitment to fairness, accountability and the overall growth of the African Democratic Congress remains unwavering,” Olanrewaju added.