TIMOTHY AGBOR, reports that after failed reconciliation efforts, Rauf Aregbesola and Gboyega Oyetola are on separate paths to restore APC to power in Osun State
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress in Osun State may not end soon as the two rival leaders of the party, Rauf Aregbesola and Adegboyega Oyetola are yet to let go of bad blood.
Since Aregbesola finished ruling the state for eight years and handed over to Oyetola of the same party, in a controversial governorship election, the party has not known peace as both politicians struggle for the control of the party even as their supporters have not ceased to engage in war of words.
The crisis became more pronounced after Oyetola failed in his bid to also rule for another four years in the state following his defeat by Governor Ademola Adeleke of the People’s Democratic Party at the fierce July 16, 2022 governorship election.
Oyetola, now Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, had fought so hard in court to nullify Adeleke’s victory but he was not lucky as the Supreme Court ruled in favour of PDP’s Adeleke.
Ever since, Oyetola’s disaffection for his predecessor grew stronger as the Minister accused Aregbesola of spearheading his downfall at the poll by allegedly playing anti-party game and instigating some members of the party who belong to the former minister’s camp to vote against him.
But, those in the camp of Aregbesola had raised the alarm over perceived marginalisation as soon as Oyetola became the governor and the leader of the party.
They argued that Oyetola, in his bid to have full control of the party as well as the government, dismantled the party structures put in place by Aregbesola and planted his men at the helm of the affairs of the party and relegated them to the background.
They claimed that Oyetola completely sidelined all the loyalists of Aregbesola from his government and only worked with a few that turned their back against the former minister.
Aregbesola’s loyalists concluded that Oyetola’s wrong actions while in office cost him his second term aspiration and not Aregbesola.
After Oyetola lost the election, those in the defunct The Osun Progressives (TOP), amplified their clamour for restructuring of the party in order to prevent it from losing again in future elections. This call, they argued, has been shunned by Oyetola and his team.
After Aregbesola finished serving his four years tenure as a Minister under the immediate past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, he returned to Osun and also advocated for restructuring of the party.
In fact, Aregbesola had to tender a public apology to Oyetola and others who feel aggrieved in the party to give reconciliation and restructuring a chance.
Few weeks after Aregbesola’s homecoming, the party leadership loyal to Oyetola announced the expulsion of 84 members of the party who belong to Aregbesola’s camp for alleged anti-party activities and disintegrating the party. Some days later, 26 chieftains of APC who are loyalists of Aregbesola were suspended by the Osun APC chapter.
Those suspended included the former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti, the former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Najeem Salami and the ex-chairman of the party, Adelowo Adebiyi.
Also, former commissioners under Aregbesola’s administration, Messrs Adelani Baderinwa, Sikiru Ayedun and Senator Mudasiru Hussain were suspended from the party.
“After Aregbesola finished serving his four years tenure as a Minister under the immediate past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, he returned to Osun and also advocated for restructuring of the party”
The Chairman of Osun APC, Tajudeen Lawal who announced the suspension of the party leaders said they were suspended for anti-party activities.
He said the disciplinary measure came in response to the allegations of misconduct bordering on factionalization of the party and creating a parallel party organ.
Lawal had said, “Following complaints of anti-party activities, the State Executive Committee of the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) constituted a disciplinary committee to investigate the allegations against some of its members.
“The disciplinary committee undertook a thorough and impartial review of the allegations and the findings were carefully deliberated upon by the State Executive Committee.
“After a comprehensive assessment of the evidence and consideration of the committee’s recommendations, the State Executive Committee has taken the difficult yet necessary step.”
The party is yet to make any pronouncement about Aregbesola on his alleged anti-party activities.
Following this development, the crisis between Oyetola and Aregbesola has worsened as no one is ready to shift ground.
Checks by The Point revealed that both leaders have been adopting separate methods in repositioning the fragmented party and also preparing their camps ahead of the forthcoming gubernatorial primary in the party and the eventual contest in the state.
Aregbesola who had formed Omoluabi Caucus after the defunct TOP failed to reposition the party, has embarked on underground political strategies ahead of the 2026 governorship election in the state.
Credible sources said Aregbesola is not leaving any stone unturned in ensuring that APC returns to power in the state.
It was gathered that the former minister, who had declared his readiness for full politics in Osun State upon his arrival to the state, has been meeting with strong politicians with great command of supporters.
Insiders said the former minister would also consider the best person that would be presented to fly the party’s flag during the governorship primary.
One of Aregbesola’s loyalists, Lani Baderinwa, while reacting to his suspension and those of others, wondered why Oyetola’s camp would have to send them packing despite their efforts at advocating for solutions to things that divide Osun APC.
Baderinwa, a former Commissioner of Information in the state, said, “Officially, we have nothing to say, especially concerning the suspension of some party chieftains in particular and nothing more to say about the crisis other than everything that we have said before. We have said that there is a crisis in the party and that we should sit together to find a solution to it. Instead, they decided to make the issues we raised as non-issues and eventually, they went ahead to criminalise us as anti-party people, which two years after, they made good the threats to send us out of the party. So, we have nothing more to say than what we have said in the past.”
Commenting on Aregbesola’s moves and how he has been re-enkindling support of party stakeholders since he returned to Osun, Baderinwa stated, “You do not come out to come and play politics openly until the campaign time. There is no candidate contesting for any election now. There is nobody supporting anybody, not until that time that you will know that something has been happening. I am saying that when Ogbeni said what he said (readiness for full politics), he meant what he said and I know that he has been working quietly like a normal politician.
He added, “It is not the noise that makes you what you are, it is the ability to go where to go, whom to talk to and who to talk to people, and whom to approach, what are the issues of discourse; the issues involved are what make politicking, it is not just jamboreeing around. When the jamboreeing around is necessary, you will see us doing it and I can tell you that, like he said, he is back in Osun to politick and he has been politicking.”
However, Oyetola’s camp controls the mainstream of the Osun APC leadership and it has gained more attention and relevance at the federal level owing to the appointment of the former governor as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy as well as the emergence of former Senator Ajibola Basiru as the National Secretary of the party.
In bid to make the party viable and victorious at future polls, Oyetola constituted a Repositioning Committee in the state. The 11-member committee, chaired by the former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, submitted its report to the Minister recently in Osogbo.
The committee reiterated that Oyetola remains the leader of the party in the state, in accordance with the party’s constitution.
Adewole who noted that the committee had successfully done justice to the terms of reference informing its constitution as manifested in the recommendations and suggestions put forward for implementation, said it is sacrosanct for the party leadership to invoke disciplinary measures on the erring members of the party forthwith.
He explained that the 72 memoranda submitted to the committee were fairly treated and the recommendations being presented to the leaders of the party for consideration and implementation were direct products of the submissions made by critical stakeholders of the party when they appeared before the committee.
“The committee invited memoranda from members of the party and stakeholders and embarked upon oral interviews and visitations to elicit additional relevant information.
“The committee worked with stakeholders to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the failure at the polls and the allegation of anti-party activities leveled against some members of the party, and met a couple of times for eight weeks to interact with groups and individuals in the party on how to reposition the party for future state and national elections.
“Having read through all the memoranda submitted and considering the oral presentations made by some stakeholders, the committee has therefore come up with specific time-tested recommendations which if implemented, will reposition the party for better victory in the 2026 election.
“We recommend for immediate implementation of the need to strengthen the party structures in line with the constitution of the party and under no circumstances should political office holders of the party be allowed to lord themselves over members of the party in their wards or takeover the duties of the structures of the party before, during and after every election at ward level.
“Curbing Internal Disputes: it is recommended that members of the party who engaged in anti-party activities during 2022 and 2023 elections should be made to face disciplinary actions in accordance with the relevant provisions of the party constitution.
“Few weeks after Aregbesola’s homecoming, the party leadership loyal to Oyetola announced the expulsion of 84 members of the party who belong to Aregbesola’s camp for alleged anti-party activities and disintegrating the party”
“Paving a Smooth Way for Crisis-free Primary Elections: the party should encourage aspirants to run issue-based campaigns and while choosing candidates for future elections, Article 20 of the Constitution of the Party should be adhered to, and the modes of primary elections whether direct or indirect should not be adopted just to favour a particular candidate.
“There is a need for negotiation with interest groups in the state to further strengthen the existing cordiality. There must be improved funding of party activities where the party would be allowed through the State Executive Council to raise funds for the party from individuals, though not occupying appointive or elective positions, but have benefitted from the government produced by the party.
“Strengthen the Party Discipline; Reward System; Party Supremacy; Youth Empowerment; Strengthen Relationship with Security and other government Agencies; Promotion of Regular Political Meeting; Re- composition of Present Party-executive Across the Ward, Local and State Levels.
“Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola should remain the leader of the party; Preparation for the 2026 Election Should Begin in Earnest; There must be good Management of Critical Information in the Media; Factor in Fairness and Justice in Rewarding Party Members.
“SWOT standing committee should be established to undertake periodic assessment; Establishment of a Shadow Government; Support to Students Groups, civil society groups and journalists; Revalidation of Party Membership Register; Electoral Performances Should be a Basis for Reward.
“Collapsing Political Interest Groups After Elections; Funding of Electioneering Campaigns Should be Better Managed; Funding of Election Logistics through prompt release of funds.
“Creation of Strategic and Special Directorates such as, Organisation, Publicity, Women, Youths, Welfare, Civil Societies and Trade Unions, Students Union Governments; Resolution of all Murder Cases among others.”
In his short remarks at the event which was devoid of any loyalist of Aregbesola, Oyetola who commended the chairman and members of the committee for their sacrifice to get the party repositioned assured party members the leadership would ensure full implementation of the recommendations therein.
He said that no stone would be left unturned at building a virile and formidable party in the state.
In an interview with our correspondent on the way forward for the party, the Osun West Senatorial Chairman of Osun APC under the watch of Oyetola, Omolaoye Oluremi Akintola said the party may experience another electoral disaster if the crisis is not resolved.
Akintola said, “The party, having received the report of the committee headed by Prof. Adewole, knows the best steps to take. We believe that perceived misunderstanding can be appropriately addressed to ensure that wounds are healed. No matter how powerful you are, you cannot close your eyes completely from other associates unless one prepares to fail. The party is not preparing to fail. We are trying to put our house in order. Before a peaceful and lasting solution could be given to any crisis, the causes of such a crisis must have been dealt with appropriately, otherwise, such a person is going to fall again. But, we don’t want to fall again. We don’t want to experience this unexpected situation again. When I was in the House of Assembly, internal wrangling led to AD (Alliance for Democracy) failure then. Similar things occurred as we have experienced it.
“Anyone who is conversant with the trends of things in politics, when some horrible things want to rear their heads, appropriate political steps that would nip the crisis in the bud must be taken at the approximate time and I believe, this is the most appropriate time because there is no election in the next few months. So, we still have that breathing space to put our house in order.”
