Tension In Osun APC As Aregbesola Seeks To demystify Tinubu, Oyetola

By Ayodele Oni

Will the Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, be given the Akinwunmi Ambode treatment  on Saturday February 19?

Will he, like the former Lagos State Governor, be rejected by his party, and thus, become a one-term Governor?

 Will the Minister for Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, a former fierce loyalist and, political godson of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, finally demystify his former boss? 

These are the questions being asked as the

Governorship primary election of the  All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State holds in the 332 wards spread accross 30 Local Government Areas.

As in the case of Ekiti, the party has adopted direct primary whereby all registered members of the party will participate in the exercise. It was the same method adopted in Lagos State in 2019, which sacked Ambode from office

The National leadership of the party has constituted an election committee, headed by Kwara state Governor, Abdulrasaq Abdulrahaam as Chairman.

From investigation, there is unlikely going to be a parallel exercise as warring factions, for the first time,  recognized the leadership of the party under the Chairmanship of  Prince Gboyega Famodun.

Situation as at Friday evening remained tense as supporters of the warring groups continued with their series of attacks against one another,  destroying Government vehicles with sporadic gunshots.

APC in Osun state has been divided into two parallel groups with Aregbesola in charge of one and incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola as the arrow head of the other group.

The Governorship Primary Committee, despite the situation, has promised to ensure free, fair, credible and acceptable poll.

The Committee, also, pledged to ensure justice in the entire process, noting that no member of the party would be unjustly disenfranchised as it is committed to ensuring a hitch-free process.

At a stakeholders meeting organized by the committee were a former Secretary to Osun State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yussuff, and Governor Oyetola, all aspirants, as well as Prince Gboyega Famodun, the recognised APC Chairman in the State.

Adeoti and Yusuff are members of the splinter group within the Osun APC family known as TOP, which refused to accept the Party’s positions and programmes, including the results of the Congresses at every level.

The Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party presented certificate of return to Prince Gboyega Famodun, confirming his Chairmanship, two weeks ago.

Yusuff and Adeoti, who had aligned with the Chairmanship of Rasaq Salinsile’s faction, however showed up at the Stakeholders meeting of the mainstream APC, under the Chairmanship of Famodun, in the build-up to the Gubernatorial primary.

Governor AbdulRasaq, who addressed the meeting said the Committee was fully prepared to maintain peace, urging members of the party to conduct themselves peacefully.

Other members of the Committee are Sen. Julius Ucha (Secretary); Sen. Dr. Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe; Hon. Abdulkarim AbdulRhaman; Hon. Wale Raji; Chief Mrs. Yetunde Imolehin; Mr Ofonmbuk Okon Bassy.

“We are here as members of the Osun Governorship Primary Election Committee of our party.

“Since yesterday, we have communicated necessary information to all the aspirants and that was done through SMS, WhatsApp and other means and all the aspirants have taken willingness to come and they were informed to come with 10 supporters and their agents in the 332 Wards.

“We came here with peace. Our party is a peaceful party and we are going to do everything to ensure that peace is maintained throughout the entire process. Fairness, equity, justice, credibility and peace are our watchwords.

“I want you all to come out peacefully and in large number to vote for your preferred aspirant. What we are looking for is peace and I can assure you that we will leave no stone unturned to ensure a peaceful, free and fair exercise.

Each of the aspirants was allowed to speak and pledged to allow a peaceful process.

The State Chairman, Prince Famodun, assured the committee of cooperation saying necessary mechanisms and apparatuses had been put in place to ensure, free, fair, credible and acceptable poll.

“I can assure you that the structure of the party is ready and we have put necessary apparatus in place to ensure that everything works for the success of the election. We have 332 Wards, 30 Local Government Areas and One Area Office.

“Necessary information and logistics have been sent across to ensure that the entire process is peaceful, free, fair and credible election. On behalf of the leadership of the party, I welcome you to the State.”

Aregbesola has vowed to sack Governor Oyetola from office, and thus hit Tinubu who he has, in the past couple of days, thrown daggers at, and painted in  very unflattering colours.

He said it was Tinubu, who imposed his brother, Oyetola  on the people of Osun State as Governor.