Osun 2022: Aregbesola May Leave APC; Oyetola Mocks Him, Flaunts Omisore

By Akinwale Kasali

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State is getting messier by the day.

As it lingers, there are indications that the Minister for Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, may be planning to dump APC as loyalists of the former two-term Governor of the State said the Group may dump the ruling party in the State.

Aregbesola and his successor, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, have been fighting each other, for months. This has, also, affected the relationship between the Minister and his political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whose nephew the Governor is.

A video jingle had circulated in the State revealing that a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under Aregbesola and a vocal critic of Governor Oyetola, Barrister Kolapo Alimi’s was going to defect to the PDP on March 23 along with his supporters. It never happened, at least, not publicly yet.

Reacting to the said video, Alimi, a vocal member of The Osun Progressives, TOP, said though the date mentioned in the jingle has lapsed, leaving the APC is not impossible if the situation with the Governor’s group continues unresolved.

“The date fixed for my decamping to PDP on the jingle was 23rd March 2022, it has lapsed and is outdated. Although there is a plan to join PDP, no date has been fixed. I Dont know anything about that jingle, I will make an official declaration if I am defecting.

“It is possible to decamp to PDP because we have issues with Oyetola which everybody knows, so it is a possibility. If it gets to the level of defection, why not? But as of today, I am still a member of APC”, he said.

However, Governor Oyetola has heaped praises on the emergence of Senator Iyiola Omisore as the National Secretary of the APC, indirectly throwing daggers at Aregbesola. He said  Omisore’s emergence will force some politicians in the State to abandon politics.

He made this statement during a reception organised by the State Government and APC to celebrate Omisore’s emergence as national scribe of the party.

Oyetola: “When I was member of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, some politicians in the State were afraid of my person. Now that Iyiola Omisore emerged party National Secretary, some of them will abandon politics.

“Omisore is not just in charge of the Secretariat but also a member of the National Working Committee of the party. This is the first time a politician from Osun will be getting such responsibility apart from just being given party ex-Official.

“Osun and Southwest now have big stake in the party. I urge you all to start the task of my re-election in earnest, let us work toward getting 450,000 votes to win the governorship landslide”, he said.

Osun APC chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun said: “Some people in our party calling themselves ‘Progressives’ positioned themselves as opposition.

“They acted as if they are greater than our party. The emergence of Omisore has shut them off and we will lay them finally to rest with the victory of Oyetola on July 16th 2022.”

Omisore said: “My emergence as the National Secretary of All Progressives Congress portends greatness, victory for Osun in all elections.

“You know that Osun is APC State so we are overwhelmed by this privilege to serve as the national secretary of APC.

“I admonish every member of APC and citizen of Osun State to appreciate the party for the privilege given to me by voting massively for Governor Oyetola in July 2022. APC is united in Osun and we will do all our best to sustain this.”

Aregbesola’s group had protested Oyetola’s membership of the new defunct APC National Caretaker Committee, saying it was abnormal for him to be a member, and at the same time, seeking re-election as Governor.

But the Governor prevailed.

For now the once powerful Aregbesola has been rendered irrelevant in the affairs of the APC,  Osun chapter.