The National President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Ademola Adesokan, has challenged the legal authority of former president Ojo Ajanaku to expel him or any member of the association, including the Board of Trustees (BoT). Adesokan described the expulsion as invalid, asserting that Ajanaku acted contrary to a subsisting court judgment.
During an Annual General Meeting in Abuja, Ajanaku announced Adesokan's suspension over alleged anti-party activities. However, Adesokan, in legal documents made available to journalists, stated that Ajanaku's tenure expired in 2022. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Adesokan declared that he became National President during an Annual General Meeting in Lagos on January 20, 2026.
Adesokan said, “Ajanaku’s tenure expired in November 2022 in line with NCAN’s 2007 constitution, which provides for a single three-year term. A person whose tenure has expired cannot validly exercise disciplinary powers over members or trustees. Ajanaku has no authority to expel me or suspend the BoT leadership. His tenure has long ended, and any such actions are invalid.”
He described the former president’s continued claim to leadership and recent actions as unlawful and contrary to a subsisting court judgment. Adesokan based his position on a Consent Judgment delivered by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on November 9, 2019, in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/439/2016. The judgment, delivered by Justice O. A. Musa, directed NCAN to revert to its 2007 constitution and affirmed that Ajanaku’s tenure, along with that of his executive council, ended in November 2022.
“You cannot override a court judgment with a press conference or meeting resolution. Authority in NCAN comes from law and structure, not claims. This is not a contest of opinions; it is a matter of a subsisting legal framework. Ajanaku should respect the rule of law and avoid actions capable of misleading stakeholders or destabilising the association,” Adesokan added.
Addressing the composition of the Board of Trustees, Adesokan dismissed Ajanaku’s claim that the BoT had been expanded to eleven members, describing it as unfounded and inconsistent with official records. “Claims of expanding the Board of Trustees to eleven members have no basis in the association’s registered structure and have not been validated by any competent authority. After all five BoT members unanimously backed Adesokan’s election, Ajanaku suddenly claimed he added BoT to 11. What we have is an ex-president who doesn’t want to leave for his personal interests, not the betterment of the industry, after serving four years over his legal tenure,” he said.
Adesokan cited certified records from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), which confirm that NCAN has five legally recognised trustees. He listed them as Mr. Tunji Owoeye, Mr. Bode Omoyeni, Mr. Sonie Stevenson, Mr. Ade Adesida, and Mr. Tola Faseru, whom he described as the original founders of the association. “The Board of Trustees of NCAN remains as duly constituted and recognised, and any attempt to suspend or replace trustees outside due legal process has no effect,” he added.
On the role of government, Adesokan clarified that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has warned that any action taken in violation of a subsisting court judgment constitutes a breach of the law and could attract legal consequences. This follows an investigation by the ministry into the protracted leadership dispute. In a letter dated April 1, 2026, the ministry stressed that all parties must adhere strictly to the terms of the existing court ruling. The letter, also cited by journalists, noted that any action taken in contravention of the judgment constitutes a breach of the law and may attract appropriate legal consequences.
The ministry raised strong objections to Ajanaku’s continued claim to leadership, describing the development as inconsistent with the legal framework governing the association. It warned that the persistence of such claims, despite clear judicial pronouncements, risks further complicating the crisis and undermining lawful governance within NCAN, and that the ongoing leadership tussle could have broader implications for the cashew sector.
Adesokan stated that the cashew sector requires stability and coordinated policy engagement, saying actions that create parallel structures and confusion risk undermining investor confidence and farmer welfare. He also defended his leadership credentials, highlighting his experience in the cashew value chain as a processor and investor, and said the association requires leadership grounded in practical industry experience. He emphasised the need for Nigeria to move away from shipping raw commodities and add value to local commodities, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision.
Reiterating his position, Adesokan called on Ajanaku to respect the court ruling and desist from actions he described as undermining NCAN’s legal framework. “I have certified copies of evidence, both visuals and papers, to back up whatever I have said here, including a letter from the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment addressed to Ajanaku to stop parading himself as the National President of NCAN,” Adesokan added.
