There is palpable anxiety in the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), over the feud between the state Governor, Gboyega Oyetola and his predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
We gathered that members of the party in the state were worried that the lingering distrust between the two leaders might cost the APC the state and possibly open the gate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to win the state in this year’s election.
Competent sources in the state told Sunday Telegraph that although the feud may not stop Oyetola from getting the second term ticket of the party, since he has the backing of the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the battle for the soul of the state might be lost to the PDP without Aregbesola’s support.
A party leader in the state said: “Listen! In 2018, when we had Aregbesola with us, we nearly lost the state. We beat the PDP by less than 1,000 votes. That tells you how strong the PDP is in the state. Now consider if Aregbesola supports another party because he is fighting with Oyetola. What do you think would be our fate?
“You see, currently, Aregbesola controls about 60 per cent of the APC members in the state, while Oyetola has about 40 per cent. Do you think that Abuja would help us? Are you also aware of the silent battle between Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Tinubu over the presidency in 2023? I think we are in for trouble, if our leaders do not stop the feud.”
It was further learnt that the machinery of the party is split into two different camps, with some prominent leaders pitching tent with either Oyetola or Aregebsola.
For instance, while a former Governor of the state, Chief Bisi Akande, five House of Representatives members and the Senator representing Osun Central in the Senate, Alhaji Ajibola Bashiru, are said to be supporting Oyetola, the Senator representing Osun West, Senator Adelere Adeyemi Oriolowo, one House of Reps member are among those in Aregbesola’s Osun Progressives.
A member of the Aregbesola group, who spoke on anonymity, said that as things stood, the party was in danger in Osun. He said that even with the cabinet and the board members around the governor, the APC was not guaranteed victory in the state, unless the right thing was done.
“We know he might get the ticket because of Asiwaju’s influence. That’s not a problem. But can the cabinet members and the board deliver him, without Aregbesola’s support? I have my doubt. Remember the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi controlled the entire party in Oyo State but the APC lost the election. You know it is easy in politics for people to tag along with you while you are in office. But election time is entirely different. All the programmes we put in place have been abandoned by the Oyetola government. The Freedom Park is now bushy while the schools we built have been defaced and are being abandoned with negative propaganda.”
But a top member of Oyetola’s cabinet said the governor would not want to dignify Aregbesola’s camp with any response. He said that the facts on the ground do not support any of the above claims. He added that the governor enjoys the support of major stakeholders, party leaders, civil servants and other electorate in the state, and the next election will further consolidate Oyetola’s popularity.
