Osun APC primary: As Aregbesola leads epic battle to stop Oyetola

The primary election of Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the July 16 governorship election in the state will be held on Saturday in Osogbo, the state capital, with three candidates in the race. The three aspirants include the incumbent state governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, a former Secretary to the State […]

The primary election of Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the July 16 governorship election in the state will be held on Saturday in Osogbo, the state capital, with three candidates in the race.

The three aspirants include the incumbent state governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, a former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Lasun Yusuff.

A direct primary election was preferred by the party.

The trio has intensified campaign among members of the party canvassing for votes. The intrigues among political gladiators in the state were not unexpected but the dangerous dimension it has assumed is worrisome.

The infighting between Governor Oyetola and his predecessor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has refused to subside, aggravating daily to the extent that the national leader of the party and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has been caught in the web of the crisis.

Among the three aspirants, Oyetola enjoys the support of Tinubu while Adeoti and Yusuf are on the side of Aregbesola. Oyetola also has the backing of the state executive of the party under the chairmanship of Prince Adegboyega Famodun.

Those loyal to Aregbesola formed a group called The Osun Progressives under the chairmanship of Elder Biyi Adelowo.

The TOP caucus of Osun APC has faulted the congresses of the party that produced Famodun and other executives of the party. They held a parallel congress where Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile emerged as the chairman of APC and Mr Adelani Baderinwa as secretary.

Aregbesola openly declared that he belongs to TOP and that he recognised only Salinsile as the chairman of APC in the state.

He said Oyetola deviated from the core principles and values of the progressives and should not be allowed to contest again.

Aregbesola handed the flag of the party to Adeoti as the suitable candidate of the party and urged members of the party in the state to vote for him during the primary election on Saturday.

He said Tinubu did not call Oyetola to order and that despite his loyalty to Tinubu, the ex-Lagos governor had no good plan for him.

He said the same treatment that Tinubu and his group meted out to former Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, will be given to Oyetola because “he had derailed from the master plan too.”

While speaking, Adeoti noted that Aregbesola resuscitated the progressives politics in Osun after the Peoples Democratic Party had taken over the state in 2004.

However, despite the stiff opposition led by Aregbesola against Oyetola, the governor was optimistic that he would get the APC ticket on Saturday; contest the July 16 governorship election and win the poll.

Oyetola has moved round the state to consult stakeholders and seek support.

Traditional rulers including, Olowu of Owu Kuta Kingdom, Oba Hammed Adekunle Oyelude Makama; Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi; Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdulrosheed Olabomi and the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Omowonuola Oyesosin, commended the administration of Governor Oyetola.

Community leaders, transporters and artisans among other people in the state rate Oyetola as a performing governor that deserved a second term.

Also, APC leaders across the state have declared support for Oyetola.

Alhaji Liad Tella, a chieftain of the party in Iwo where Adeoti hails from, said Oyetola has done well and would be re-elected.

He said Adeoti did not attract development to Iwo when he was in Aregbesola’s administration as SSG.

The Ila Federal Constituency has endorsed Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for a second term in office and assured him of their vote in Saturday’s primary election of the party.

The endorsement meeting was held at the residence of the former national interim chairman of the party, Chief Adebisi Akande at Ila-Orangun.

The leadership and members of the APC in Ila Federal Constituency comprising Ila, Ifedayo and Boluwaduro Local Government Areas have passed a vote of confidence on the Governor Adegboyega Oyetola-led government in the state.

The Chief Press Secretary to Osun Governor, Ismail Omipidan has declared that  Aregbesola  is not God and cannot determine the fate of Oyetola in the state.

According to him, “the general belief among most Africans that ‘a man’s life is preordained and ruled by God’ has continued to play out in the political trajectory of Governor Oyetola of Osun.”

“From 2011 when he was appointed chief of staff to 2018 when, against all odds, he emerged, first as the candidate of the APC, and later, governor of the state, at a time many thought it was all over for him, it was obvious that he was on a divine political course.

“My principal has absolute faith in God and the people of Osun. In these last three years-plus, the people can tell the difference in terms of responsible and responsive governance and politics.”

A former deputy governor in the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore, is among the strong politicians behind Oyetola in Osun.

Omisore was the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2018. He is teaming up with Oyetola for the coming election.

Omisore said his major focus now is to ensure that Oyetola is re-elected during the July 16 governorship election in the state.