Osun APC Approaching Gen. Elections With A Divided House – Findings

Ismaeel Uthman

THE internal crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the State of Osun is yet to be se led, findings have revealed.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that former governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s camp known as IleriOluwa and loyalists of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, are yet to close ranks a week to the general elec ons.

This is happening in spite of the dissolu on of The Osun Progressives (TOP), a group populated by Aregbesola’s loyalists in December 2022.

Findings revealed that while some of the Na onal and House of Assembly candidates of the APC are reaching out to members of the defunct TOP individually, the APC leadership has not made moves to integrate Aregbesola’s loyalists into the party.

According to inves gaons, the leadership of the party has not also reached out to the former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeo , as of the me of filing this report yesterday.

The medium noted that comments and reac ons of younger members of both IleriOluwa and defunct TOP camps on the January 27 tribunal judgement exposed the yet-to-be resolved differences among leaders of the party.

“There is s ll this sharp division within the party, and I am afraid it is not going to end soon”, said an APC chie ain who craved anonymity.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER in a telephone interview yesterday, the Chairman of defunct TOP, Rev’d. Lowo Adebiyi claimed that nothing much has changed since the dissolu on of the group, noting that Aregbesola and his loyalists were s ll being treated as outcast by the leadership of the party.

Adebiyi noted that APC leadership in the state has not been rela ng with Aregbesola’s tendency before and a er The Osun Progressives was dissolved.

“Ever since we dissolved TOP, the party has not reached out to our tendency, not to talk of inia ng any integra on process. There has not been any mee ng between the leadership of the party and our tendency since we dissolved TOP in December 6, 2022 ll now.

“The party did not invite us to anything, including the campaign ac vi es for the presiden al candidate pf the party. Some few weeks back, I was called by somebody who informed me that my name had been added to the Presiden al Campaign Council in Osun. That is the only thing I know about that, nothing more since then.

“What are we even talking about? The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, was not even included in the campaign team, not to talk of invi ng him to par cipate in any of the party’s ac vi es.

“TOP was dissolved to create pla orm for genuine reconcilia on, with the hope that the leadership of the party will embrace the posi ve move and begin poli cs of inclusiveness, but that is not happening. The party is not rela ng with us at all.”

Reac ng, the Director of Media of the APC, Chief Kola Olabisi, dismissed the report that the party is approaching elec on with a divided house.

According to Olabisi, Osun APC is a united house and everybody is being carried along in the party programmes.

He said: “Everybody saw the dissolu on of TOP as a welcome development. But the party at the State level said anybody returning to the mainstream of the party should go back to his/her ward.

“There is no ques on of not carrying anybody along. Everyone is welcome. Poli- cs is a game of numbers. There is only one party Secretariat in Osun and anyone who is a member should approach the Secretariat. Nobody will turn them back.

“I didn’t agree that APC is approaching the elecon with divided house because the party is one in Osun. There was never a me APC was divided in the state.

“Whoever claim he is not being carried along should show up at the party secretariat or ward mee ng.”

Yusuf Oketola

THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has postponed the 2023 annual Aje fesval indefinitely over scarcity of new naira notes.

A statement by Ooni’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, on Tuesday, indicated that the decision was taken a er a mee ng of the Ife Tradi onal Council, in rela on to the current challenges facing the country.

The statement reads in part: “The decision to postpone the prominent Aje fes val is in solidarity with Nigerians especially the scarcity of naira notes, fuel and other basic needs that should have made life be er for all.

“The Ooni is concerned as a father and he has held mee ngs with Iyalaje Oodua, Princess Dr Toyin Kolade who is the Fes val Coordinator and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that things get fixed as he connues to pray for the country.

“A new date will be announced to the public shortly a er the forthcoming presiden- al elec on.”

Aje fes val is a prominent fes val in Yoruba land par cularly Ile-Ife, to celebrate and enlighten the people about the spirit of wealth and prosperity.

TSodiq Yusuf students will go a long way to improve educa on and encourage knowledge and research in the area.

HE candidate of the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) in Osun Central Senatorial District in the forthcoming general elec ons, Olubiyi Fadeyi, on Wednesday, doled out bursary award worth N18.5m to 720 students across the 10 local governments of the district.

Beneficiaries of the award were drawn from students in 100 level, final year undergraduates, masters and those on their doctorate degree programmes.

Fadeyi while speaking at the programme noted that the gesture was to assist the students, par cularly in their various researches (projects), during the final lap of their respec ve programmes.

The senatorial candidate reassured the students and other residents of Osun Central Senatorial District of his resolve and pledge to deliver on his manifesto for the common good of the people.

He said: “This ini a ve is part of my agelong wish to deliver the mandate of qualita ve and effec ve representa on to the people of Osun Central Senatorial District. I am of the firm belief that assis ng these

“The essence of this bursary is to assist the people to acquire the best legacy, educa on. You have to be well read and properly educated to be whatever you may want to be in life.

“If elected, 200 students from each of the 10 local governments of Osun Central Senatorial District will receive bursary awards.

“This programme is inspired by the fact that my father himself was a teacher who also strived to touch and impact lives when he was alive. This is the thread I’m going on.

“If elected, we will facilitate more dividends of democracy for our people in health, employment opportuni es, yearly bursary, empowerment for women and children as well as support for sectors of Osun Central.”

In his remarks, the Personal Assistant on Poli cal Ma ers to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Hon. Babatunde Badmus urged the people of Osun Central to support Fadeyi’s ambi on, sta ng that the PDP is commi ed to delivering good governance to the people.

Badmus assured that a vote for PDP candidate is a complement to the mandate of Governor Adeleke to rapidly develop Osun State and make government work for them.

Other speakers at the event including Alhaji Muniru Raji and Barrister Kolapo Alimi also re-echoed the need to vote for PDP, saying that will bring succour to the hardship being faced by Nigerians.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, four beneficiaries of the bursary award, Mrs Cecila Aroyehun, a Master’s Student studying Parasitology at the Osun State University, Micheal Adio who is on his Ph.D in Computer Engineering at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Ayobami Adebisi, a final year student of Philosophy Department, Obafemi Awolowo University and Rofiyat Awotayo, a final year undergraduate of Poli cal Science from Osun State College of Educa on, Ilesa, appreciated the senatorial hopeful for the gesture.

They promised to make judicious use of the award, while urging the people of Osun Central Senatorial District to vote for Fadeyi in next week’s general elec on.

EACH genera on must discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it, in rela ve opac - Franz Fanon

The observa on of the psychiatrist poli cal analyst, Franz Fanon, comes back to the fore as we navigate a decisive week ahead and understand the import of the address by President Muhammadu Buhari to the na on yesterday.

The speech was more of a na on of the address rather than a rou ne broadcast, it edified the authority of the president and soothed the frayed nerves of a na on on edge. Kudos to Mr President.

The president was honest enough to admit that there is a lot wring and apologised to the na on. The intellectual honesty shown is highly commendable and the media team should emulate.

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday morning, in a na onwide broadcast, Thursday, February 16, 2023, directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to release old N200 notes into circula on to co-exist with new N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes for 60 days.

The president, however, said old N500 and N1,000 banknotes are no ment’s monetary policy and on the other hand naviga ng the twists and turns of the poli cal season. The two of course are interwoven. longer legal tender in Nigeria.

Because if the absence of scenario planning as well the inadequacy of project management what should have been a currency swap is now been interpreted as a confisca on of the medium of exchange demonstra ng a pathe c communica on muddle up.

Things must change and strategic ins tu ons of the state have to be rebuilt, star ng with the methods of recruitment and selec on.

The president in his address was taking on issues as it were on two fronts. In the first instance, he was jus fying the thrust of the govern-

The president as a pointer to the future should have focused on and indeed emphasised the failure of ins tu ons. Ins tu ons and regulatory agencies in par cular have not lived up to expecta ons. The painful unintended circumstances of this is the misdirected aggression which has led to mayhem on the streets in several states, resul ng in the loss of lives and economic disloca on. All of this should have been avoided.

The president correctly emphasised that all ci zens should be up and doing and exercise their civic responsibili es in next week’s elecon. He is right, next week should be a decisive turning point for the na on, it is an opportunity for a rebirth by examining the op ons available to achieve a more equitable society anchored on social jus ce.