- Aregbesola’s loyalists deny voting for Adeleke
A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State loyal to the Minister of Interior and former governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola, has refuted a report that aggrieved members of the party voted against Governor Gboyega Oyetola in the July 16 governorship election.
Rather, the faction said that Oyetola and state chairman of the party, Gboyega Famodun, cheaply delivered victory to the Peoples Democratic Party.
The factional chairman of the party, Rasaq Salinsile, while addressing a press conference in Osogbo, yesterday, said Oyetola and Famodun’s alleged insensitivity and impunity over party issues led to the total collapse of the APC’s winning structures and eventual loss of the governorship election.
Salinsile accused Oyetola and Famodun of deliberately weakening the Osun APC by wishing away ‘dog-handlers’ and grassroots mobilisers who have been delivering a victory for the party since 2007.
He urged the national secretariat of the party to immediately restructure Osun APC, saying that the only way to bring back the winning strength of the party is to re-organise it before the 2023 general elections.
The former chief of staff to the governor said it was unfortunate that both Famodun and Oyetola wanted to dislodge genuine progressives in the party with paperweight politicians who could not win in their units, wards and local councils.
He absolved members of The Osun Progressives from the allegations that they worked against APC and mobilised voters for the governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke, adding that they voted for Oyetola.
He said that Famodun’s inability to manage the party was responsible for APC’s electoral misfortune.
Salinsile also denied a report that the faction was plotting against the presidential candidate of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
He added that the governor and his factional party chairman clearly deviated from the best practices in politicking, party administration, governance, and democracy.
Recall that prior to the gubernatorial election in Osun, both the Ileri Oluwa group of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and The Osun Progressives (TOP) with the support of Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, and former governor of the state were at daggers drawn.
Both factions accused each other of neglecting members, with TOP accusing the state governor of relegating supporters of the former governor and deliberately erasing all the projects of the former governor with the intent of erasing his legacies.
According to him, “Our early warning was met with strident attempts at stifling our voice and muzzle us up if necessary. We had foretold of clear degeneration and weak position of Osun APC and had offered a seven-point agenda by which the party could be turned around and re-energised for greater efficiency and result oriented.”
While absolving members of TOP from allegations of anti-party activities leveled against them, Salinsile added that it was Famodun’s alleged mismanagement due to selfish interests that led to the electoral misfortune of the party on July 16.
“Towards 2022, the party got divided into two with the former and incumbent governors leading the two caucuses. Famodun felt so comfortable to side with one of them and making the enemy of the other because of lucre-immediate gain.
“Then we went to the election and lost scandalously, even in our traditional safe constituencies and he started looking for a scapegoat. Famodun is to be told that he is an original failure and should be so told.
“The TOP which Famodun is trying to blame had offered to help him in resolving the matters that is affecting the party but his penchant for avarice, greed and corruption will not allow him to see reason.”
The factional chairman also noted that violence and impunity were introduced into the party in the state with the active collaboration of the state governor and Famodun.
He added that homes of notable TOP members were attacked viciously and despite the fact that the attacks were reported to the Osun State Police Command, no attempt at investigation has been carried out to date.
“Violence was introduced into the progressive family by Oyetola and his ilk. It was much of a surprise that on February 18, 2022, thugs led by the notorious Asiri Eniba were sponsored by the Oyetola’s camp to attack Aregbesola’s convoy at Orisunmbare market, Osogbo. You wondered, what exactly has Aregbesola done to Oyetola to deserve this kind of treatment,” he added.
He however stated that the faction was open to reconciliation and affirmed that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is still the presidential candidate of the party.
Salinsile also called the National Secretariat of the party to, as a matter of duty, immediately re-organise, reboot and re-energise the Osun APC for greater future performances.
