Crisis is brewing within the Ekiti State chapter of the Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU), following the resignation of the union’s treasurer, Comrade Kemi Adeyanju. The development has deepened unrest in the already fragile union leadership, as concerned members now send a Save-Our-Soul (SOS) message to the national headquarters of RATTAWU, urging urgent intervention to restore sanity and accountability.
Com. Adeyanju, who until her resignation was the state treasurer and a former auditor of the union, tendered her resignation last week amid weighty allegations against the State Council Chairman, Comrade Tola Popoola. In her resignation letter obtained by The Fountain Times, Adeyanju accused Popoola of gross financial misconduct, administrative high-handedness, and systematic marginalization of executive members.
According to her, the chairman had repeatedly withdrawn funds from the union’s account without due process, bypassing both the treasurer and the financial secretary—the only two constitutionally recognized signatories. She also accused Popoola of failing to convene statutory monthly and quarterly leadership meetings, thereby running the state council unilaterally since assuming office in February 2024.
“The chairman has been taking decisions without involving the financial team or the broader executive committee. Money is being spent without transparency or accountability,” Com. Adeyanju lamented in her resignation letter.
Sources within the union disclosed that the tension has been simmering for months, with several members expressing dissatisfaction over the chairman’s autocratic style of leadership. Some earlier petitions had surfaced on social media, accusing Popoola of intentionally leaving five executive positions vacant to concentrate control—and possibly, financial benefits—in a smaller circle.
With Adeyanju’s exit, the state executive committee now has just five active members out of the required eleven, raising questions about its legitimacy and operational functionality.
Further deepening the crisis are fresh allegations that Com. Popoola deliberately crippled the women’s wing of the union. According to a petition addressed to the national secretariat, she allegedly appointed herself as the de facto Women Wing Chairperson and positioned herself as the only eligible RATTAWU candidate for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Women Wing election—an act viewed by many as an abuse of office.
RATTAWU members in Ekiti, speaking anonymously for fear of victimization, described the current situation as the “death of unionism” in the state.
“This is no longer a union. It’s now a dictatorship. There’s no collective decision-making. Funds are not being accounted for, and executive members are being sidelined,” one member said.
They urged the national leadership of RATTAWU to immediately intervene and conduct an audit of the state’s finances and leadership conduct. “If nothing is done, the union risks total collapse in Ekiti. We’ve lost credibility among members and the public,” another member added.
Some members also raised concerns about the continued listing of the union’s Public Relations Officer, who reportedly relocated abroad over a year ago, yet remains on the executive roll.
Political watchers say the Ekiti RATTAWU saga reflects a broader trend of weak institutional governance within Nigerian trade unions, where lack of oversight often results in financial irregularities and member disenfranchisement.
Efforts to reach Com. Tola Popoola’s comments were unsuccessful as of press time. Calls and messages sent to her known mobile number were not returned.
However, a source close to her dismissed the allegations as “exaggerated” and “politically motivated,” claiming Adeyanju’s resignation was personal and not due to any wrongdoing by the chairman.
As tensions continue to mount, unionists and civil society stakeholders are urging the President and the national RATTAWU executive to take urgent steps to avert a full-blown collapse of the state council.
Whether through internal reform, disciplinary action, or external mediation, one thing remains clear—Ekiti RATTAWU stands at a crossroads.