Presidential Aspirant Leaves Party Over Alleged Imposition Of Candidate

A presidential aspirant of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Abisayo Busari-Akinnadeju, has resigned from the party, alleging that its leadership attempted to impose a consensus candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Busari-Akinnadeju, an Ondo-born legal practitioner and Chartered Arbitrator, announced her resignation in a statement issued yesterday, accusing the party leadership of undermining internal democracy and denying members the right to freely determine their flagbearer.

She said her resignation letter was formally submitted on May 28, adding that she chose to make the announcement public on inauguration day due to its symbolic importance to democratic governance and the principle of popular participation.

The former aspirant explained that she purchased the party’s presidential nomination form in April 2026 and successfully passed screening by the party’s screening committee before her clearance was allegedly subjected to a disciplinary process.

‎‎According to her, the disciplinary proceedings stemmed from a private WhatsApp message and were conducted without adequate notice or disclosure of the specific allegations against her.

‎‎She further alleged that the panel handling the matter was chaired by the party’s National Legal Adviser, saying the process lacked fair hearing and due process.

‎‎Busari-Akinnadeju also claimed that state chairmen of the party were directed not to attend the presidential primary election but were instead instructed to transmit figures to the national secretariat to facilitate the emergence of a consensus candidate.

‎‎She described the move as a violation of provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, which she said requires the written consent of all cleared aspirants before any consensus arrangement can be validly adopted, and provides for direct primaries where consensus is not reached.

‎‎“On Inauguration Day, when Nigeria honours the right of her people to choose those who govern them, I cannot remain inside a party that has refused that same right to its own members. I joined to compete on merit. I am leaving because merit was never going to be the test,” she said.

‎She maintained that she rejected any form of imposed consensus arrangement, alleging that her removal as a cleared aspirant paved the way for the process to proceed unhindered.

‎The former aspirant added that she would now return to non-partisan civic engagement through the Dare Agenda and the #DareNigeria movement, stressing her continued commitment to democratic reform and civic participation.