Ayoade Calls for AUATON Elections, Urges Adedamola to Withdraw Court Cases
The top echelon of Nigeria’s e-hailing union, the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transport Workers of Nigeria (AUATON), continues to face an escalating leadership tussle and internal conflicts. In response, Comrade Ayoade Ibrahim, the founding General Secretary and a key figure in the dispute, has proposed a definitive solution: conducting elections. He advocates for a comprehensive electoral process from local government branches up to the national level as the crucial pathway to resolve the ongoing crisis and establish legitimacy for the union’s leadership.
The Call for Restructuring and Legitimacy
In a recent discussion with Technext, Comrade Ayoade detailed the historical context of AUATON’s current leadership arrangement, shedding light on the absence of formal elections since its inception. He explained that when AUATON was established, executive positions were not filled through democratic elections at any level. Instead, the union’s initial leadership structure emerged from a consensus-based agreement among the three core organizations that merged to form it: the Nigerian Union of Professional App-Based Workers (NUPABW), the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association (NACORP), and the Professional E-hailing Drivers and Partners Association (PEDPA). This foundational approach led to the selection of national leaders through internal accords. For instance, Adedamola Adeniran, representing NACORP, assumed the presidency, while Ayoade Ibrahim, from NUPABW, became the General Secretary. Jolaiya Seun Moses, representing PEDPA, also took on a key national role. Ayoade’s current proposition for widespread elections aims to dismantle this consensus-based, non-electoral system, thereby introducing transparency and democratic principles to the union’s governance. He believes this is essential to end the ongoing in-fighting and confer undisputed legitimacy on future leadership.
Comrade Ayoade Ibrahim’s call for democratic elections within AUATON marks a significant turning point for Nigeria’s e-hailing industry. His proposal directly addresses the root causes of the union’s leadership crisis, advocating that embracing foundational democratic principles is essential for achieving stability and a unified direction. Should AUATON adopt this electoral reform, it could set a vital precedent for professional organizations across the African tech landscape, ensuring that leadership is not only in place but truly legitimate and representative of its members’ mandate.
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