BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
For allegedly committing anti-party activities, the State Executive Committee of the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has announced the expulsion of 84 members.
The party leadership, loyal to current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, had constituted a Disciplinary Committee to investigate allegations of anti-party activities against some members.
A statement signed by the party chairman, Tajudeen Lawal and made available to journalists on Wednesday night revealed that the disciplinary measure was a response to the allegations of misconduct and actions that embarrassed and brought the party to disrepute.
“The Disciplinary Committee undertook a thorough and impartial review of the allegations and the findings were carefully deliberated upon by the State Executive Committee,” he said.
After a comprehensive assessment of the evidence and consideration of the committee’s recommendations, according to Lawal, the State Executive Committee took “the difficult yet necessary step of expelling the members.”
Among the expelled members are loyalists of the immediate past Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, a factional chairman of the party, Rasaq Salinsile and the Commissioner for Political Affairs and Inter-Government Relations under the Ademola Adeleke-led Peoples Democratic Party government, Biyi Odunlade.
Odunlade was Special Adviser and later Commissioner for Sports in the Aregbesola administration. He was an APC chieftain in the state before his silent defection to the ruling PDP in the build up to the 2022 governorship election.
The factional chairman of the APC in the state, Salinsile was also appointed as the chairman of the Teaching Service Commission by Adeleke.
However, Salinsile reportedly declined the appointment citing personal reasons.
Salinsile had led the faction of Osun APC loyal to former Governor Aregbesola and mounted fierce opposition to ex-governor Adegboyega Oyetola, running on the platform of the APC, from getting a second term in office on July 16, 2022 governorship poll, at the peak of the inter-party crisis that ravaged the then ruling party in the state.
Although the ex-state lawmaker did not openly reject the appointment immediately after his name was announced, it was learnt that he contacted Adeleke thereafter and declined the offer.
Meanwhile, Aregbesola’s name was not among those expelled.
“As we move forward, we enjoin our members to remain focused on our goals and continue working together to serve the interests of our constituents and our state.
“Our commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and adherence to our party’s core values remains unwavering,” Lawal said.
