By John Dike, Osogbo
There is crisis in the Osun State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) over the released local government allocations, and conduct of the party’s primary election scheduled for December 13.
Sources within the party said that former Governor Gboyega Oyetola who also is the current minister of Blue and Marine Economy has allegedly imposed a committee for local government Funds management.
The management committee according to sources, is made of Oyetola’s loyalists, and is charged with the responsibility of managing the just released local government funds which many conceived as unacceptable to other party chieftsins and their supporters
The listed names of the committee include Bola Oyebamiji, Timothy Owoeye, Adebayo Adeleke, Jamiu Olawumi while others are in a shadow Parliament to manage councils funds.
It was learned that few hours after President Bola Tinubu approved the release of multi billion naira withheld councils funds, APC in the state drifted into serious internal crisis as Oyetola allegedly discreetly set up a 32-man advisory committee to manage the funds.
The committee was meant as an advisory council and a pseudo parliament to dictate and approve council budgets and direct the councils chairmen on governance and policy direction.
The committee, to be headed by Hon. Timothy Owoeye, the former Speaker of the Osun parliament, however, has a lopsided membership.
In violation of the due process, the State APC chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal is to operate under Owoeye who is the Director General of the campaign committee set up to ensure the emergence of Mr Bola Oyebamiji as the candidate of APC in the coming election is 2026.
Sources disclosed that Oyebamiji has many of his followers as members of the committee, a situation seen as a ploy to arm twist other aspirants and hijack the impending primary election in favor of Oyetola’s anointed aspirant.
A check from the rank and file of the party had accused the Minister of clandestine means to impose the Director General of Nigeria Inland Water Ways Oyebamiji.
He is also accused of directing federal appointees from the state to back Oyebamiji or forfeit their appointments. He also allegedly made his campaign structure available to his choice aspirant at the expense of others.
Besides, the Minister is allegedly desperate to impose Oyebamiji on the party, by cornering social intervention schemes to favour the AMBO group at the expense of those members supporting other twelve aspirants.
Party members, according to sources, are asking why Oyetola is hellbent on Oyebamiji, who comes from a background of the payment of modulated salary to Osun State workers and thinks the party will be acceptable to the Osun State electorate.
Sources said that the former commissioner of Finance whose “wrong economic policy crippled Osun State’s economy will be inimical to the success of the party…”
The composition of the committee has the AMBO promoters such as Bola Oyebamiji himself, Sunday Akere, Idowu Abiodun the ALGON chairman in Osun state, Hon Mulikat Abiola, Adebayo Adeleke, the immediate past former Commissioner for Local Government, Jamiu Olawumi a former Special Adviser on Education and vocal supporter of Oyetola.
However, other aspirants including Senator Iyiola Omisore, Senator Ajibola Basiru, Omooba Dotun Babayemi, Mr Kunle Adegoke SAN, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, and Mr Gboyega Alabi the deputy to Oyetola as governor of Osun State have been sidelined.
Efforts to reach the pioneer National Chairman of APC Bisi Akande who was a former Governor of the state has not yielded results.
It would be recalled that some members about three months ago accused Oyetola of demanding N3 billion as legal charges through the committee whenever the Councils start to receive the withheld allocations from the federal government.
Credible sources noted that the Oyetola committee showed hands too early despite stakeholders advice against it. The committee quickly organized a seminar and allegedly coerced chairmen to sign irrevocable letters of deductions in favour of one particular lawyer.
Also a party chieftain who spoke in confidence, said some stakeholders have advised Oyebanmiji to withdraw from the race if the monies from NIWA and his sponsors cannot fund his aspiration.
Some stakeholders recalled that “This was exactly what happened during the Oyetola’s administration that led to the party’s 2022 loss.”