Busari-Akinnadeju Dumps DLA, Accuses Party Of Blocking Fair Presidential Primary

A 2027 presidential aspirant on the platform of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Abisayo Busari-Akinnadeju, has resigned her membership of the party, accusing its leadership of blocking a fair and competitive presidential primary.

In a resignation letter addressed to the party’s national chairman in Akure on Friday, Busari-Akinnadeju said the party abandoned its democratic principles by replacing an open contest with a consensus arrangement.

She said the development made it impossible for her to continue in the party, insisting that her withdrawal was not borne out of defeat but principle.

“I write to notify you, and through you the National Working Committee, of my resignation as a member of the Democratic Leadership Alliance with immediate effect from the date of this letter,” she stated.
“I do not resign in defeat. I resign because I am not permitted a fair contest, and I will not lend my name to a process that has abandoned its own rules,” she added.

The former aspirant also demanded a refund of the presidential nomination fee she paid, arguing that the party failed to deliver on its promise of a credible primary election.

“I therefore respectfully request the following: written confirmation of receipt of this resignation; a refund of the presidential nomination fee I paid, the consideration for which, a fair and lawful primary, the party has not provided,” she said.
“I also ask for the return of any personal documents, records, or materials of mine that remain in the possession of the party or any of its officers,” she added.

Busari-Akinnadeju thanked party members across the country for their support, stressing that grassroots supporters were not responsible for the internal decisions that triggered her exit.

“I record my gratitude to members of the party across the country who gave their time and hope to the work we shared… They are not the cause of this decision, and they deserve far better than the conduct of those who now lead them,” she said.

Despite her resignation from the DLA, she reaffirmed her determination to continue in the 2027 presidential race under her “Dare Nigeria” agenda.

“My commitment to the 2027 presidential race and the Dare Agenda, and to the millions of Nigerians who have answered the call of #DareNigeria, is undimmed and is, in fact, strengthened by what I have witnessed,” she said.

She added that she would pursue her ambition on another platform that aligns with her principles of internal democracy and fairness.

“I will continue that work on a platform worthy of it,” she said.

Busari-Akinnadeju, who hails from Akungba-Akoko in Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State, said the party’s handling of its primary process raises broader concerns about its commitment to democratic values.