A cleared presidential aspirant of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, Mrs Abisayo Busari-Akinnadeju, has resigned from the party, alleging attempts to impose a consensus candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.
Busari-Akinnadeju, a legal practitioner and chartered arbitrator, announced her resignation in Abuja on Friday, saying she could no longer remain in a political platform that allegedly denied its members the right to freely choose their candidate.
Her resignation, which was formally submitted on May 28 and acknowledged by the party, was made public on Nigeria’s Inauguration Day.
In a statement, the former aspirant said she decided to return to non-partisan civic engagement and continue her advocacy through the Dare Agenda and the #DareNigeria movement.
She alleged that despite paying the party’s presidential nomination fee in April and being cleared by the screening committee, her clearance later became tied to a disciplinary process over what she described as “a single word in a private WhatsApp message.”
According to her, the disciplinary process was initiated without adequate notice or details of the allegation.
The former aspirant further alleged that state chairmen of the party were instructed not to attend the presidential primary but instead forward figures to the party’s national secretariat to facilitate the emergence of a consensus candidate.
She argued that such a process violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires the written consent of all cleared aspirants before a consensus candidate can emerge.
Busari-Akinnadeju said, “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 the merits. I leave because the merits were never going to be the test. I will not put my name to a process I know to be wrong.”
She maintained that she never consented to the adoption of a consensus candidate and would not have done so under any circumstance.
Speaking on her next political move, she said, “The work of building a country that is fair to all of its citizens does not belong to any single party. It belongs to all of us, and it continues.
“What 2027 will require of me, I will decide with the Nigerians who have walked this road with me, and at the time it is right to decide.”
The lawyer disclosed that she would address journalists later on Friday at REL Libraries in Abuja, where she is expected to give further details on her resignation and political future.
Busari-Akinnadeju is a chartered arbitrator with over 17 years of experience in legal practice and governance. She is also the convener of the Dare Agenda, a civic platform focused on accountability, constitutional reform and internal party democracy ahead of the 2027 elections.
