Former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, on Wednesday reemerged as the National Chairman of the Alliance for Democracy at a national convention held at Onikan Stadium, Lagos.
The convention, which was held on the heels of a directive from the Independent National Electoral Commission for the two factions to reconcile or face sanctions, saw Akande defeating Prof. Sola Adeyeye and Dr. Lanre Idowu.
Akande had on December 16, 2003 emerged one of the two factional chairmen of the party following a disagreement over the return of the former National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Abdulkadir, to office after he was appointed the Special Adviser to the President on Manufacturing and Private Sector.
While Akande had emerged at a convention held in Lagos, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa was elected National Chairman at a parallel convention in Abuja.
Others that were elected at the convention tagged Convention of Unity and Reconciliation included former National Secretary of the party, Dr. Chudi Nwike as the National Treasurer; National Vice-Chairman, South-West, Chief Olatunji Hamzat; Rev. Okechukwu Obiora, National Vice-Chairman, South-East; and Chief Rafiu Ogunleye as the Deputy National Financial Secretary.
Chairman of the National convention Committee, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan, said that the convention was an indication that the division within the party was over.
Hassan said that the presence of 13 out of the initial 16-member NCC set up under the leadership of the acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Michael Koleoso, was an indication that the rift had been settled.
Hassan said that the decision of the seven NCC members that attended the 2003 Abuja convention to attend the Wednesday event was a clear indication that the reconciliation embarked upon by the party was largely successful.
He said that it was only Akinfenwa and a small group within the AD that did not want the convention to hold.
He said, �We can�t allow only one man and a small group to hold the party to ransom.
�To show that we were transparent in our dealings, we did not bar anybody from contesting for any elective post based on previous affiliation.
�All we just did was to ask them to go back to their constituency and get their nomination.�
Hassan described AD as the only �alternative to the bad leadership the Peoples Democratic Party had been offering this country at the federal level in the last five years.�
But Akinfenwa on Wednesday described the Lagos convention as a stillborn baby.
Speaking at a meeting of the Afenifere held at the Ijebu-Igbo residence of Senator Abraham Adesanya, Akinfenwa, who insisted that the convention of the AD that produced him as the party chairman remained the authentic one.
INEC made good its promise to attend Wednesday�s convention as it was represented by six of its key officers.
The officials were: Dr. Ismail Agbai; Dr. Mohammed Jamare; Alhaji Tijani Kolo; Alhaji Idris Ibrahim; Mrs. Regina Omo-Agege and Alhaji A.A. Sani.
Elder statesman and Leader of Nigerians United for Democracy, Chief Anthony Enahoro, was at the head of the delegation of notable political leaders from other parties that attended the AD convention.
Others were former Governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa; and National chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Chekwas Okorie.
Notable members of the party the convention were the Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; his deputy, Mr. Femi Pedro; former National Chairman of AD, Ambassador Mamman Yusuf; Senator Olabiyi Durojaye, and Lagos State Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola.
Others were former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; former Ekiti State governor, Chief Adeniyi Adebayo; former Oyo State Governor, Alhaji Lam Adesina, and former Borno State Governor, Alhaji Mala Kachalla.
