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By Great Oluwaseun
The political landscape of Osun State has undergone significant shifts following the fallout between former governor Aregbesola and incumbent Governor Oyetola. This fallout led to the establishment of two parallel structures within the All Progressives Congress (APC): the Aregbesola-led faction known as the The Osun Progressives (TOP) and the Oyetola-led Ilerioluwa Group.
Simultaneously, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was grappling with its internal crisis involving the “Anigba” faction led by former PDP South West Vice Chairman, the Late Hon. Soji Adagunodo. This crisis resulted in numerous court litigations, culminating in a legal battle that reached the Supreme Court. Both major parties, APC and PDP, entered the July 16, 2022, gubernatorial election with internal challenges.
Despite both parties facing internal turmoil, the election outcome favoured the PDP, which secured victory with over 400,000 votes, while the APC, despite garnering over 300,000 votes, lost the election. Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s bid for re-election faltered due to political discord with his former boss turned adversary, Rauf Aregbesola.
The election period thrust certain individuals into the spotlight due to their roles in the crises. Dotun Babayemi, a former PDP Chieftain expelled on September 29, 2022, for alleged anti-party activities, and Raji Kehinde (Araaj), a contractor and staunch ally of former Governor Aregbesola, were among those who gained prominence.
Dotun Babayemi recently launched a cooperative society named “Atunto Osun,” signaling his intention to oppose the state government. The name itself suggests a political agenda aimed at garnering public support for the 2026 Osun Gubernatorial elections.
However, beneath Atunto Osun’s facade of altruism lies a complex political strategy. It serves as more than just a cooperative society; it is a tool for organizing and mobilizing the masses for political ends. Its primary goal is to harness the collective power of the people and wield it against the current state government.
In parallel, Kejebu Empowerment, led by Engr. Raji Kehinde has emerged as a significant force in Osun State politics. Engr. Raji, a contractor turned politician, has focused Kejebu Empowerment on initiatives such as skills acquisition, educational support, and economic empowerment.
Similar to Atunto Osun, Kejebu Empowerment is not solely philanthropic; it is perceived to have political objectives. Its activities are strategically aligned with certain political goals, utilizing community-focused initiatives to build a support base for political mobilization.
As Atunto Osun and Kejebu Empowerment pursue their respective agendas, the future of Osun State hangs in the balance. Will these movements succeed in empowering the people, or will they succumb to the complex political dynamics at play? Only time will reveal the fate of Dotun Babayemi and others navigating the treacherous waters of Osun State politics, where the journey may lead to a point of no return.
A chieftain of the Osun All Progressives Congress who spoke to Osun Spring on the condition of anonymity noted that some leaders of the APC are just using both Kehinde Raji (Araaj) and Dotun Babayemi to clear the bush ahead of them for 2026.
The Chieftain maintained that it is the believe of those leaders that both individuals have some level of sympathy and audience and could save the dieing Osun APC.
“We are in interesting times in the Osun APC
A time where people who were rejected from their platforms are being celebrated and empowered because our party, the Osun APC is helpless.
“We are where we are today because of the mistakes of two people who led our party for four years, former Governor, Gboyega Oyetola and the former party Chairman, Gboyega Famodun.
“Some of us had advised then that the issue that marred our party can be better handled but they didn’t listen to us.
“In the case of Atunto Osun, I do not understand the idea because some of us actually disagree with the approach but some of our leaders believe that noth Araaj and Dotun Babayemi can be used to divide the PDP further for our party to gain more ground.
“I can bet they are wrong, they believed the duo have sympathy and a level of followership but thata will not even work because this people will just be used and dumped, they will not get their exact expectation”, the Chieftain said.
Another Chieftain of the PDP who didn’t want to be mentioned also told Osun Spring that Raji Kehinde (Araaj) and Dotun Babayemi are on a journey of no return.
The Chieftain explained that in the political space, no one has the monopoly of winning always, you win some and then you lose some adding that when any politician feels they should win all the time, it leads to destruction.
“We have been politicians for decades and I understand the political terrain, I can as well tell when a politician is going oblivion.
“That’s the exact way to describe both Araaj and Dotun Babayemi, they have missed it and instead retracing their step, they are making further mistakes on a daily basis.
“In politics, you win some and you lose some. Sometimes your opinion is accepted, sometimes your opinion is rejected, it is all politics, you can not always have it, other people will also have theirs.
“Should everybody leave when they don’t have their way, who will be left? If we all have left, who would they have joined when they came we accepted them? Come to think of it, Araaj is not even a member of the PDP.
“Araaj should come out straight and chose where he belongs instead of telling lies to his followers and hiding under the canopy of a businessman and philanthropist to gain political favour.
“I can tell you that both Araaj and Dotun Babayemi are on a journey of no return except they retrace their steps.”
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