The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has rejected and dissociated itself from what it described as an unconstitutional and fraudulent Annual General Conference (AGC) allegedly organised by its president, Debo Adeniran, and his associates.
In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday and dated 25 January, CDHR’s National Publicity Secretary, Idris Afeez, said the purported AGC held on Saturday, 24 January, in Ota, Ogun State, was conducted against the unanimous decision of the NEC.
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He said the committee has the sole constitutional authority to determine the date and venue of the AGC.
The NEC had resolved that the 2025 AGC would be held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, from 30 January to 1 February.
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“The AGC in Ota was a complete nullity, illegal, and unknown to the NEC, Board of Trustees (BoT), and the legitimate National Council (NC),” the statement read.
“Non-members of CDHR and unqualified persons were fraudulently admitted as delegates, and nonexistent branches were represented in the purported AGC.”
According to the statement, during a properly convened NEC meeting on 5 January, presided over by Mr Adeniran, the committee had officially decided the AGC venue and dates.
Mr Adeniran, however, allegedly conspired with non-members to hold the Ota event for personal interests.
The NEC has directed all legitimate delegates to ignore the Ota assembly and attend the constitutionally sanctioned AGC in Abeokuta on 31 January.
The committee condemned the inclusion of fictitious or inactive branches from Taraba, Sokoto, Gombe, Borno, Adamawa, Kogi, Plateau, Niger, and Ebonyi states, as well as impostors representing Ogun, Rivers, Kwara, Delta, and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The actions of Adeniran and his associates amount to institutional fraud and a deliberate attempt to subvert the democratic structures of CDHR,” the NEC said.
It warned members and the public against being misled by the charade and emphasised that legitimate NEC members and Board of Trustees members are listed in its statement.
It maintained that the legitimate members of the National Executive Committee are Debo Adeniran (President), Yinka Folarin (Vice-President), Nwokoro Ejike (Acting Secretary), Akomolafe Helen (National Treasurer), Ekine Henry (National Legal Adviser), Idris Afeez (National Publicity Secretary), Osaigbovo John (National Auditor), and Osagie Obayuwana (Immediate Past National President).
It added that the legitimate Board of Trustees members include Femi Falana, Osagie Obayuwana, Lucky Akaruese, Gbenga Awosode, Malachy Ugwummadu, and Debo Adeniran.
Mr Falana, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Chairman of CDHR’s Board of Trustees, also distanced himself from the Ota AGC, following attempts to mislead the public into believing the BoT endorsed the event.
The BoT had intervened to prevent a breakdown of unity within the organisation and to ensure the AGC was conducted according to CDHR’s constitution.
The NEC urged members to remain committed to constitutionalism, internal democracy, and the integrity of CDHR, while cautioning the public, security agencies, the media, and the Corporate Affairs Commission to take note of the irregularities and impostors involved.
The NEC called on members to attend the official AGC scheduled from 30th January to 1st February in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
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