Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) presidential aspirant Abisayo Busari-Akinnadeju has resigned from the party and requested a refund of her nomination fee.
In a resignation letter addressed to the party’s national chairman and obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria in Akure on Friday, Mrs Busari-Akinnadeju said her decision followed what she described as the party’s inability to conduct a free and fair primary election.
She also criticised the party leadership for adopting a consensus candidate, saying the move was against the growth of the party.
“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.
“I do not resign in defeat. I resigned because I am not permitted a fair contest, and I will not lend my name to a process that has abandoned its own rules.
“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.
“I also ask for return of any personal documents, records, or materials of mine that remain in the possession of the party or any of its officers.
“I record my gratitude to members of the party across the country who gave their time and hope to the work we shared. They joined for the right reasons. They are not the cause of this decision, and they deserve far better than the conduct of those who now lead them,” she said.
Busari-Akinnadeju said she remained committed to contesting the 2027 presidential election and promoting the “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.
“I will continue that work on a platform worthy of it.
“Nothing that has happened in recent weeks has changed my conviction. It has only confirmed why the change I am running to bring is necessary,” she said.
The former aspirant said she invested her time and resources in the belief that the party would provide a credible platform ahead of the 2027 election.
“The record speaks plainly, and I set it out here so that it is not forgotten.
“A party that cannot conduct a fair primary among its own aspirants cannot credibly promise a fair country to its citizens,” she said.
Busari-Akinnadeju is from Akungba Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
