How Osun APC Crisis Degenerated

By Oladipo Olamide The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun might not have festered till date if fairness, unity and collective purpose wasn’t jettisoned by the current administration in the state, findings have revealed. Due to controversies surrounding the emergence and eventual assumption of office of Governor Oyetola, efforts […]

By Oladipo Olamide

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun might not have festered till date if fairness, unity and collective purpose wasn’t jettisoned by the current administration in the state, findings have revealed.

Due to controversies surrounding the emergence and eventual assumption of office of Governor Oyetola, efforts were not spared to unite members of the APC political family in Osun.

Findings revealed that rather than the governor and his loyalists strengthening and rejuvenating the party for the consolidation of progressive legacies in the state, it began an unprecedented politics of segregation and exclusivity against members of the party that brought him to power in 2018.

Following the development, members who wanted to ensure that the crisis did not degenerate, at its earlier stage, formed The Osun Progressives (TOP), a caucus of the party in a bid to right the wrongs of the factional party chairman, Gboyega Famodun and by extension, the governor’s camp.

Since the creation of Osun on August 27, 1991, the state has been democratically governed with Osun West Senatorial District taking the first shot but ruling for just less than 24 months; Osun East Senatorial District ruling for eight years; Osun Central Senatorial District where Governor Oyetola hails from would have ruled for 15 and half years by the end of his tenure.

With three governors: Chief Bisi Akande, four years; Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, seven and half years; and Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola who would have spent four years at the end of his first term by 2022 being from the same Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin Federal Constituency as Oyinlola.

In 2018, the agitation for the Osun West Senatorial District to produce the next governor was fierce and huge. It was so fierce that all party leaders, starting from the elders, Agba Osun caucus of APC, majority of the State Executive Council, and virtually all organs of the party were hell bent on “West Lokan Agenda.”

In spite of this clamour, the then Chief of Staff, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, was produced as the APC candidate for the state gubernatorial election.

That decision alone fragmented the party such that a section of the party decamped to the ADP, costing APC at least 49,000 votes in the 2018 election. Eventually, the election was declared inconclusive and a rerun was ordered, with Alhaji Oyetola eventually winning with a slim margin.

Although, many factors were responsible for the declaration of the election being inconclusive, among which was the decamping of aggrieved section of APC members to the ADP – costing APC over 49,000 votes, the reported unpopularity of the APC candidate as well as the general clamour for OSUN WEST DISTRICT to field the next governor were the driving factors for APC’s unusually slim victory in the 2018 guber elections.

Political observers said if compared, the results of Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola in his home local governments and that of his closest rival, the PDP candidate in his home local governments, it will be discovered there was huge difference of 21,525 votes in favour of the PDP candidate.

This is significant, considering the fact that, PDP could only lead APC after the first ballot by only 353 votes.

Under the Oyetola administration, whoever is perceived to be associated with or harbour any interest in the legacy of immediate past administration or commitment to his predecessor is alienated from the party and government regardless of their contribution to the success of the party.

Another issue tearing the APC family apart is the reversal of the major policies of the Aregbesola administration by incumbent governor and his camp.

There has been concern that since the start of his administration, the incumbent governor had publicly shown his disdain for his predecessor, Aregbesola who was well aware of but kept mum in the spirit of party cohesion and political maturity.

While all these were going on, some concerned members of the party approached the governor to have a rethink about his actions and inactions against APC stalwarts including the former governor, but the governor did not yield.

At some point, the issues were taken to Baba Bisi Akande for resolutions but this effort did not produce a decisive resolution.

Thereafter, in December 2020, Asiwaju intervened at a meeting held at the Ila Orangun residence of Baba Bisi Akande, with Baba Akande, Governor Oyetola and Ogbeni in attendance where resolutions were agreed. However, the resolutions taken at that meeting were jettisoned and the leaders have not since then raised a finger.

When there was no solution in sight, genuine party leaders who love the party and majority of people who suffered before we could restore the progressive party back to power in Osun 12 years ago, came together to form The Osun Progressives (TOP), in order to reorganize the party for future elections.

Immediately The Osun Progressives (TOP) was formed, the government started castigating leaders of the group and its members.

Though this attack has continued unabated, however on a daily basis, members of TOP have kept increasing.

Immediately the timetable for Ward Congress was released by the National Secretariat of the APC, the leadership of TOP announced to the whole world that they were ready for the congress but the governor’s group, said they were not ready for a congress rather they settled for consensus.

Using his position as a member of the Caretaker Extraordinary and Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the APC with the support of Senator Iyiola Omisore, the governor was able to influence the Chairman of the Osun Convention Planning Committee, Hon. Elegbeleye to declare his group consensus list as duly elected ward executives.

TOP then petitioned the National Secretariat in the form of an Appeal and eventually the Appeal Committee came but again, they are still issues in the aftermath.

To add insults to injury, seven leaders of TOP were arraigned before a Magistrate Court instead of arresting and prosecuting thugs. The case was eventually dismissed.

As the crisis continued, especially in relation to the party’s congress, numerous party leaders have intervened without any clear resolution in sight.

On January 8, 2022, the APC National Reconciliation Committee arrived Osun, met with Governor Oyetola’s APC factions, who urged the National Reconciliation Committee to disregard the petitions forwarded to it by TOP.

While expressing optimism for an end in sight to the crisis, a party chieftain called for a genuine, equitable and fair reconcilation, saying having a divided house into the election will portend great danger for the APC.

Chief Oladipo Olamide writes from Osogbo, Osun State