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By Taofik Jimoh
A former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Adelowo Adebiyi, has exposed a web of political scheming, deception, and internal strife within the party. Adebiyi’s statement sheds light on the contentious relationship between key figures, including former Governor Rauf Aregbesola and incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
These revelations were contained in a statement signed by Revd. Adelowo Adebiyi, one of The Osun Progressives (TOP) on Wednesday in response to a statement signed by Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, on Tuesday, on the involvement of TOP and other stakeholders, in the July 16, 2022 governorship election in Osun State.
In a scathing critique, Adebiyi accuses Oyetola’s administration of orchestrating a campaign of undeserved attacks and humiliation against Aregbesola, leading to an unnecessary crisis within the APC. He emphasizes the blatant contradictions in the narratives presented by Oyetola’s political handlers, labeling them as “political nitwits.”
Adebiyi points out that the Osun APC, instead of addressing its failures, has consistently resorted to lies and blame-shifting, particularly against Aregbesola, who he asserts has maintained a commitment to truth and the values of the Omoluabi Caucus.
The former APC Chairman reiterates a call for the reformation of the party ahead of the 2022 elections, dismissing claims that this was a ploy to obstruct Oyetola’s second term. He sheds light on the formation of The Osun Progressives (TOP) caucus, emphasizing its aim to rejuvenate the APC with the involvement of all stakeholders.
Adebiyi’s statement details incidents of political maneuvering, including attempts to create a division between Aregbesola and Oyetola. He highlights instances where political minnows propagated falsehoods, leading to strained relationships and further division within the party.
The former chairman accuses the APC handlers of excluding individuals associated with Aregbesola, ultimately undermining the party’s electoral strategy. He criticizes the arrogance of party leaders, including Prince Gboyega Famodun, and points out their failure to evolve effective strategies for electoral success.
Adebiyi challenges the Osun APC political marauders to substantiate their claims of anti-party activities and stop making vague statements. He contends that the alleged contraction that Aregbesola is no longer relevant is baseless and a mere attempt to shift blame.
The statement also delves into claims of an agreement between Aregbesola, Chief Bisi Akande, and President Bola Tinubu. Adebiyi questions the basis of such an agreement and accuses Oyetola’s supporters of deceit.
As the political landscape in Osun State becomes increasingly complex, Adebiyi’s revelations open a window into the internal strife within the APC, highlighting the challenges the party faces as it approaches crucial elections in 2022. The question now is whether these revelations will lead to introspection and reconciliation within the party or further deepen the existing fault lines.
The full statement is reproduced below
It is on record that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was subjected to undeserved attacks, harassment and humiliation by the political flotsam and jetsam under the watch of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola. Eventually, the hypocrites whose desire was selfish pursuits drew Aregbesola into unnecessary crisis in the APC.
We note that it is only political nitwit that will be contradicting himself the way the handlers (more of mishandling) of Osun APC have continued to do in the bid for them to make case for their failures and shift blame on innocent soul.
While it is obvious to discerning minds that those parading themselves as something in Osun APC today kept using 10 lies to defend one since the crisis they deliberately ignited and prolonged, we note of a fact that truth has been the strength of Omoluabi Caucus character which has stood us in good stead against their shenanigans and political marauding.
We restate our call for the need to strengthen and retool the Osun APC for better performance ahead of 2022 elections but which the political neophytes deliberately twisted as ploy to make second term impossible for Governor Oyetola.
They lied to themselves that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola didn’t want Oyetola as Governor and thus will do “an Ambode” i.e prevent him from running for a second term.
Incidentally, The Osun Progressives (TOP) caucus was formed to champion the reformation of APC but with clear mind that all stakeholders had to be carried along for an holistic assignment.
In doing that, the TOP leaders were to meet then Governor Oyetola, his predecessor, Aregbesola, Chief Bisi Akande and a host of others but had to meet Ogbeni first because Oyetola was outside the country.
For reasons of harboured hatred for Aregbesola, the political minnows went out with their lies again to say he was sponsoring TOP against Oyetola with the ultimate goal of preventing him from running for a second term.
Long before this, the political empty barrels surrounding Oyetola had persuaded him to avoid attending the turbanning of Aregbesola as the Amirul Waziri-Muuminiina of Osun State on Friday, December 20, 2019, with an instruction that no government official should attend.
When people tried to observe the widening gap between Aregbesola and Oyetola, the political gangsters came up with another lie to the effect that Aregbesola was breathing down Oyetola’s nose on governance matters.
When the Supreme Court finally affirmed Governor Oyetola, public insult, sufficient for discerning minds to know that all was not well between Aregbesola and Oyetola were made at the spontaneous rally called to celebrate the judgment.
While TOP kept working to rally all members of the party, including those who left in anger sequel to the allegedly manipulated primary election, the politically ignorant surrounding Oyetola kept making inciting and rude statements and act in manners which divided the party.
The APC handlers excluded anybody that has anything to do with Ogbeni, notwithstanding their contributions to the efforts that made Oyetola the Governor or the capacity they have.
There was a time, when then Prince Gboyega Famodun, supposed chairman of the party said TOP members were few disgruntled elements who had nothing to contribute electorally to the success of the party, whereas, record shows he has no grip of electorate in his hometown, ward and local government.
We note that Famodun is on record to have cared less when multitude of members left the party after the alleged manipulated primary which obviously reduced greatly accruable votes of APC.
The man who left the party less than two months to the general election garnered closed to 50,000 votes which should have been part of APC at the election.
Such arrogance of Famodun and his team player indicated lack of clear understanding of what politics is, election management and democracy deserve to them.
They are so poor in having correct political understanding that they got distracted and allow the opposition to operate freely and without let or hindrance, so much that they couldn’t evolve any concrete strategy by which they could win the election.
They rejected all entreaties to get the party, the election machine in proper shape to fight the election battle because they don’t have what it takes other than mere grandstanding.
So, what the TOP worked to achieve, the regeneration of Osun APC for greater performance was thwarted on the altar of patent hatred for Aregbesola and protection of individual interests.
We are on high moral ground to ask these political tricksters to come to the public with evidence of anti party activities which they kept mouthing since they fell disastrously in the elections of 2022 and 2023 from which they deliberately excluded majority of party members, despite humongous resources invested. We await when they will stop vague statements and substantiate their attempt to pass the buck of their deliberate suicidal electoral trip.
May we note with special interest that the contraction in vainly insistence that Ogbeni is no longer relevant in the politics of Osun and the claim that he caused the electoral loss can only be seen from the perspective of a drunken Sailor who lost his senses of direction to alcohol and made the ship to sink. It is easy to allege, but proofing it may be difficult.
It is interesting that the Osun APC political marauders spoke about agreement between Aregbesola, Chief Bisi Akande and Asiwaju (now President) Bola Tinubu, even when characteristically, they deliberately twisted it. They need to be reminded that at that time, their sing-song was that there was no crisis in Osun APC. Nothing could be as disastrous as deceiving oneself as Oyetola and his ilk did then. A greater treachery cannot be committed against oneself as they did to themselves then. So, may they tell people, what is the basis of an agreement if there was no issues in contention?
Like we earlier noted, the Oyetola people love to rabble-rouse a lot. They claimed the purported agreement was written by Aregbesola, what a naive way to lie. Could the political empty barrels produce a copy? Were they at the meeting? The date in reference in their concocted story has not elicited electoral contest, the issues in discussion at that meeting were more of the reorganisation of APC to be anchored by the trio of Chief Akande, Aregbesola and Oyetola which was never allowed to work.
The issue of Oyetola’s second term didn’t come up at the meeting. Moreover, Oyetola refused to honour the letter of the said meeting by giving his followers signal and free hands to continue to attack Aregbesola and rubbish his legacy in an attempt to denigrate the harbinger of progressives government in the state. May we ask, was it part of the said agreement that Aregbesola’s loyalists should be subjected to violent attacks? Was it part of the agreement to sponsor gunmen to attack Aregbesola openly in Osogbo? Was it part of the agreement to incarcerate TOP leaders? It is laughable reading the concocted and fallacious statement credited to the APC Chairman.
If Aregbesola’s policies were to have any negative effect on the electoral fortune of the APC, that would have happened in 2014 when the policies were fresh. But Aregbesola won his second term election with an unprecedented over 100,000 votes margin. Aregbesola also had a brighter electoral show in 2015 and 2019 general election (Oyetola, even as governor in 2018 was not in charge of the election but Aregbesola). May we ask why Oyetola lost in spite of his prompt payment of salary and reversal of Aregbesola’s policies? May we school the writer, signatory and believers of the statement and others with such erroneous believe that voter register will continue to increase in every political dispensation because eligible voters would have emerged; so comparing the total number of votes given to the APC in 2018 and 2022 to justify nonexistent popularity of Oyetola is out of place. It is fallacious. What would have made a point is for the Oyetolas to have won the 2022 election with just less than 500 votes like it happened in 2018. The truth is Oyetola and his people made mess of the party and wanted to denigrate Aregbesola but God rewarded their evil plot with electoral failure.
For us in the Omoluabi Caucus, we believe in the people and we have never ceased to courting them but will never deceive them and the reason why we enjoy chummy relationships with them.
It was part of their frivolous talk then to retire some politicians but God, who can not be mocked put a stop to their treachery with the devastating electoral loss and rather than be remorseful of causing the Progressives great hurts and aches, they kept grandstanding. We in the Omoluabi will not wait forever and our wait won’t be in vain.
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