NCAN Leadership Crisis Deepens as Adesokan Claims Legitimacy Amid Policy Rift

James Emejo in Abuja

The leadership crisis rocking the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) has escalated, with rival factional presidents, Mr. Ademola Adesokan and Dr. Ojo Ajanaku, advancing conflicting claims to authority against the backdrop of sharp policy disagreements within the industry.
Adesokan, who emerged president at the association’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos on January 20, 2026, has dismissed Ajanaku’s continued claim to leadership as unlawful, insisting that the former president lacks the legal standing to suspend members or trustees of the association.
In a statement supported by court documents and other materials, Adesokan argued that Ajanaku’s tenure expired in November 2022 in line with NCAN’s 2007 constitution, which prescribes a single three-year term.
He said, “Ajanaku has no authority to expel me or suspend the Board of Trustees. His tenure has long ended, and any such actions are invalid.”
He anchored 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.
According to Adesokan, “You cannot override a court judgment with a press conference or meeting resolution. Authority in NCAN derives from law and structure, not personal claims.”
He further dismissed Ajanaku’s assertion that the Board of Trustees had been expanded to 11 members, describing the claim as inconsistent with official records at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), which recognises only five trustees.
He stressed that certified records from the Corporate Affairs Commission confirm the legally recognised trustees of the association, listing 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.
Adesokan said, “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.”
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had also weighed in, warning that actions taken in violation of a subsisting court judgment could attract legal consequences.
In a letter dated April 1, 2026, the ministry urged all parties to adhere strictly to the court ruling, cautioning that persistent claims to leadership contrary to judicial pronouncements risk worsening the crisis and undermining governance within the association.
Adesokan warned that the protracted dispute could erode investor confidence and disrupt coordination in a sector that requires policy clarity and stability.
According to him, “At a time when the cashew industry needs alignment, the creation of parallel structures only deepens uncertainty and threatens farmer welfare.”
The leadership tussle is unfolding alongside deep divisions over policy direction in the cashew sector.
For his part, Adesokan has positioned his leadership around value addition and alignment with national industrial policy, arguing that Nigeria must move beyond exporting raw commodities to remain competitive globally.
He cited his experience as a processor and investor, noting that his company has attracted investment and created jobs, particularly for women, while meeting international certification standards.
The competing claims to leadership and divergent policy positions have effectively split NCAN into parallel camps, raising concerns over the association’s ability to present a unified voice at a critical time for the sector.
As both factions dig in, the resolution of the crisis now appears increasingly tied to legal interpretation, government intervention, and the broader direction of Nigeria’s cashew industry.
He said, “At a time when the cashew sector requires stability and coordinated policy engagement, actions that create parallel structures and confusion risk undermining investor confidence and farmer welfare.”
Adesokan also defended his leadership credentials, highlighting his experience in the cashew value chain as a processor and investor.
He noted that his company, Annie Glidden Commodities Nigeria Limited, established in 2022 in Kwara State, had attracted investment and created employment opportunities, particularly for women, among others, noting that the association required leadership grounded in practical industry experience.
He added that Nigeria needed to move away from shipping out raw commodities and add values to local commodities which is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s vision.
Nonetheless, at a recent stakeholders’ engagement and Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in Abuja, Ajanaku – who continues to assert his authority as NCAN president, alongside NCAN officials and stakeholders—dismissed reports of a leadership split, attributing them to external interference, stakeholders at the meeting acknowledged governance concerns and called for ministerial neutrality pending judicial resolution of the dispute.
They also announced disciplinary measures against some members of the Board of Trustees, further underscoring the deepening institutional rift within the association.