The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) faction loyal to the late Dr Frederick Fasehun has said the president, Prince Dele Osibote, was removed because he derailed from the organisation’s principle.

Deputy President Wasiu Afolabi (aka Askari), who addressed a conference at the weekend, said the organisation had suffered lack of identity and loss of faith by the people.

He said: “This has further resulted in the loss of confidence in OPC by our traditional rulers and governments in Southwest. To stem this ugly trend, the National Executive Committee (NEC), on February 28, removed Prince Osibote as president. Deputy President Wasiu Afolabi will take over as president until a reorganisation is effected.

“We are constrained to take this decision to safeguard the sanctity of the organisation and preserve the legacies of our founder, Dr Fasehun.” OPC said.

Afolabi said Osibote was elected president because he was a close ally of the founder, and an old member of the organisation, who they thought would continue with Fasehun’s legacies.

“Unfortunately, we were wrong as later events have proved that Osibote is on a mission to destroy OPC through his autocratic and pervasive rule. Barely three months after assuming office, he dissolved the NEC and constituted a new cabinet outside the one he inherited.

“Osibote recruited members of a splinter group – Oodua People’s Reform (OPR), and now authentic members of OPC have been discarded and substituted with dissidents…”