Members of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Osun state yesterday dismissed the party’s Chairperson Tosin Odeyemi, over reports of alleged embezzlement of funds belonging to the party.
During a conference held at the party’s secretariat in Osogbo, Mr. Odeyemi was removed by a committee which was set up to probe him after a vote of no confidence was passed on him.
Adekunle Abolade, the party’s Secretary spoke briefly, following the meeting contending that the inadequate management of funds and the chairman’s domineering leadership was the reason the party lost the July 16 gubernatorial election in the state
Mr. Abolade said the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Boniface Aniebonam, and the national executives endorsed the removal of Mr. Odeyemi’s as Chairperson of the party in the state.
‘Going by the record, our former chairman (Odeyemi) has been mismanaging the funds of the party and which resulted in the poor outcome of the party in the July 16 governorship election in the state.’
‘He is the sole signatory to the party’s account and receives credit and debit alerts on the party’s account.’
‘During our meeting with the party’s BOT chairman in Lagos, last week, he gave us the permission to remove him; and the party’s leadership in Abuja are in support of removing him.”
‘And the reason is that if Odeyemi is still in charge of the party in Osun, then we will have nothing to show in the 2023 general elections, but by doing what we did now, NNPP has a future in Osun’, he noted.
The governorship candidate of the party in the state, Oyelami Saliu, also said that he backed the decision of the majority of members to impeach Odeyemi.
Mr. Saliu said the supposed poor management of the party and financial irresponsibility by the chairman was the justification for a poor-performing party during the gubernatorial election.
‘I am in support in whatever the majority of members decide. I am in support of what the BOT chairman, the national leaders, and the presidential candidate of the party are in support of.’
‘Whatever will move the party forward in Osun and in Nigeria will also receive my blessings,’ he said.
Mr. Saliu, who was collectively elected by the party members as interim chair of the party, said he would make sure that the party in Osun moves forward.
Also, one of the leaders of the party in the state, Oyedele Adeyemi, said there are a lot of proven allegations of anti-party activities against the former chairman.
Mr. Adeyemi said he was also in support of removing Mr. Odeyemi as the party chairman in the state.
In response to Odeyemi’s removal, Mr. Odeyemi said those behind his removal from the office do not have the constitutional right to do so and the testimonies grounded against him were false.
He said that a court referendum was also secured which had restrained them from removing him from office.
‘Those people at the meeting are not members of the executives of the party.’
‘We have members of the executives, who are now party candidates and the constitution does not permit dual office.’
‘They do not have the constitutional right to remove me and also the court just granted an order restraining them and others from acting foolishly’, he said.
