Founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Dr. Fredrick Fasheun, has been overthrown as president of the organisation by a faction of the group led by Comrade Dare Adesope, who has been announced as the new president of the congress.
At a news conference on Tuesday at the congress’ secretariat, Egbe area of Ikotun, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, Adesope said OPC has lost confidence in the leadership of Fasheun who had thrown the organisation into crisis and politics.
He said since the formation of OPC, Fasheun had been in charge of the body without keeping to the vision that led to its formation.
With several members of OPC on his side, Adesope said he has been declared the new president of OPC nationwide and that Fasheun ceased to be the president of the group, but just the founder, stressing that the congress was not established “to run monarchical system of government. How can one person be directing its affairs for 20 consecutive years?”
“Fasheun is no more the president of OPC and he was removed because of his reprehensible act and that it is high time the Yoruba leaders joined forces with the new leadership of the congress to move the region forward.”
He explained that the time had come for all Oodua descendants to embrace the congress, as the Yoruba leaders should not “judge the OPC with the precedent of the past leader,” who was advised, but did not take to the admonition.
Adesope stated that the manner the congress would be managed under the new leadership would be in consonance with the 1999 Constitution and that of the organisation unlike when “we ran autocracy where one person took all the decisions on behalf of the organisation without consulting the National Executive Council.”
He denied allegation that the OPC new leadership was sponsored by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to move against Fasheun.
Adesope, however, congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan for the just concluded general elections and for accepting defeat gallantly, saying this demonstrated the spirit of true sportsmanship that should be emulated by all.
“If it is true that some groups in the Niger Delta are saying he should not come home, we advise him to disregard such threat. If he is not comfortable with them, he is welcome in any part of the South West. I can assure him that OPC will provide him adequate security.”
Adesope also congratulated the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, appealing to him to ensure that he corrects all the mistakes made by the outgoing administration and that all regions in the country enjoy the dividends of democracy; share all national positions fairly; fight corruption; address unemployment with all seriousness and put an end to electricity problem in the country.
