Osun Defender Online Version of July 19, 2022

TUESDAY, JULY 19 - THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022 VOL 17 NO 28 NEWS

POLITICS Oyetola Surrounds Himself With Paperweight Politicians - Kolapo Alimi Speaks Out

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NEWS

July 16 Poll: Observer Groups Decry ‘High Level Of Voter Inducement, Compromise Of Voting Cubicles’ Page 5

OsunDecides: Those Who Insulted Bola Ige’s Memories ‘Justly Served’ – Soyinka Taunts APC

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Oyetola Lost 2nd Term Election Pg. 2 3 Years Ago - Findings •Gov’s Vindictiveness, Politics Of Exclusion End Progressive’s Reign In Osun

NEWS

Residents, Party Members Storm Streets To Celebrate Adeleke’s Victory Pg. 7 Osun Poll: We Foresaw The Electoral Defeat, Says Salinsile, Adebiyi

Pg. 6

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News

Oyetola Lost Second Term Election Three Years Ago The beauty of democracy resides in the periodic change of leadership at a time stipulated by law.

Once the confidence of the people is lost, they handover their destinies to the most available alternative, with the hope of getting a better deal.

For Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the State of Osun, the people spoke to him last Saturday and put an end to his second term ambition. But what are the events that cumulated to Oyetola’s electoral misfortune? What were the factors that worked against his 4+4 mantra? ISMAEEL UTHMAN writes......

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T is no longer news that Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of State of Osun has lost his second term bid, having been defeated by the Governor-elect, Sen. Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democra c (PDP) in the Saturday, July 16, 2022 governorship elec on.

Adeleke polled 403,371 to defeat Oyetola who recorded 375,027 votes.

Poli cal watchers and analysts however, have submitted that Oyetola did not just lost his reelec on bid.

They said the outgoing Governor had lost his re-elecon three years ago when he started his ‘poli cs of alienaon’ and dissocia on from his former boss, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not approach the elec on with a united house, as the crisis within the party remained unresolved, ll the elec on day.

According to analysts, Oyetola is not popular in the state and his determina on to crush Aregbesola and his supporters poli cally, resulted into further hatred of his administra on by the people of the state who s ll love Aregbesola.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that hardly had Oyetola became the governor of the state, he began to dissociate himself from Aregbesola’s administra on where he served as Chief of Staff to the Governor for eight years.

Oyetola’s dissocia on from Aregbesola was borne out of his plan to absolve himself of some controversies that rocked the former governor’s administra on, among which were payment of modulated salary, re-classifica on of schools and the debt profile of the state.

The governor believed that dissocia ng himself from Aregbesola’s administra on would endear him to the people, a move later said to be a straw that broke his camel’s back.

The incumbent also believed that Aregbesola did not genuinely support him in 2018, hence the need to crush all the poli cal structures his benefactor had and create his own nest of followership, within the rank and file of the party.

OSUN DEFENDER was reliably informed that the first move to ‘cut Aregbesola to size’ in Osun poli cs was the nomina on of Senator Iyiola Omisore as the Ministerial nominee from the State of Osun.

According to sources, Oyetola and some APC leaders wrote President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 and introduced Omisore, who was never a member of the APC then, as the person nominated for the ministerial appointment from Osun.

But Buhari rejected the nomina on and opted for Aregbesola, who he was pleased with his performance as the governor of the state, said the sources.

The animosity between Oyetola and his successor came to public knowledge when Aregbesola was turbaned as the Amirul Waziri Muminiin of the State of Osun on December 20, 2019 by the Leagues of Imams and Alfa in the State.

Oyetola, his cabinet members and local government chairmen did not a end the turbaning ceremony, held at the Osogbo Central Mosque.

Only the Commissioner for Finance, Bola Oyebamiji, Chairmen of Osogbo South and Osogbo West Local Council Development Areas, and Ede North Local Council Development Area, Hon. Akeem Olaoye, Alhaja Temilade Olokungboye and Mukaila Uthman a ended the programme respec vely.

Though Aregbesola claimed that Oyetola did not deliberately shun his programme, he was furious that other poli cal func onaries, par cularly chairmen of the councils he created did not honour him with their presence at the event.

His furiousity brought out the popular u erance, “Eyin nu, Olohun nu,” meaning ‘I leave you all to God.’ OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the poli cal func onaries were instructed not to a end the turbaning ceremony to make a statement that Aregbesola was no longer holding the grip of APC in the state.

Since 2019, the rela onship between Aregbesola and

in the party.

There were also misgivings among members of the Governor’s group, IleriOluwa, on the choice of people that made the caretaker appointment across the local governments and LCDAs. Some of the group members who thought they would be appointed felt disappointed.

Ward, Local Government and State Congresses

Also, the governor failed to make use of the APC congresses to reconcile with the aggrieved members who were formidable under the TOP umbrella.

The ward, local and state congresses of the APC led to the final polarisa on of the party in 2021.

Oyetola and some APC leaders in the state manipulated the congresses by handpicking the party’s excos through consensus, against the call for elec ve congresses by TOP. The party held parallel congresses in each of the wards, local governments and state levels.

•A person with disability casting his vote at unit 6 ward 5, Osogbo LG. Members of the APC who belonged to The Osun Oyetola has remained sour, leading to gradual division of Progressives, elected former Secretary of the party, Hon. Rasaq Salinsile as State Chairman while the IleriOluwa the party.

The return of same school uniform, reversal of school group chose Famodun as Chairman of the party.

However, no fewer than 2,552 members of the APC merger and re-classifica on from Elementary, Middle and High School (4-5-3) to normal primary, junior secondary and who procured the party’s nomina on form to contest varisenior secondary school (6-3-3) were said to be calcula ve, ous offices at the congresses approached court to nullify IleriOluwa’s APC congresses and recognise them as the real in the grand a empt to discredit Aregbesola.

All the loyalists of the Minister of Interior were excluded party execu ves.

The congress was supposed to be another opportunity from government and party affairs, a situa on that birthed The Osun Progressives, a caucus of the All Progressives Con- to reconcile the aggrieved members of the APC. gress (APC) in the State, in May 2021.

State, Na onal Assembly Primaries Another missed opportunity for reconcilia on was the Failure To Open Room For Reconcilia on Members of the APC and some poli cal watchers had recent controversial State and Na onal Assembly primaries believed that the crisis rocking the party would be laid to of the APC in the state.

All the State and Na onal lawmakers who were perrest when the governorship elec on approaches.

But the reconcilia on did not come as expected by ma- ceived to be loyal to Aregbesola were not returned, just as the Governor and party Chairman manipulated the primajority of the people.

The first opportunity for Oyetola to reconcile with the ries against all the aspirants who are from TOP extrac on aggrieved members of the party was during the appoint- of the party.

The primary also divided the IleriOluwa fac on of the ment of caretaker chairmen for the local government and party and poli cal actors were aggrieved as their preferred local council development areas.

It was expected that the governor would pacify the ag- aspirants were dropped in a glaring compromised primary grieved members with the LG caretaker appointment made elec on.

OSUN DEFENDER had in its June 03 edi on asserted on July 1, 2021.

But Oyetola ensured that none of Aregbesola’s allies that Governor Oyetola would find it difficult to mobilise made the list, a situa on that further widened the division •Continued on Page 4

•Electorates waiting to cast their votes at Ward 10 Unit 6, Egbedore LG, during the last goernorship election.

PEOPLE FIRST

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Review & Outlook

BY SOLA FASURE The Morning After Why APC Lost Osun And “The rebuilding must be The Danger Still Ahead anchored on INCLUSIVE-

A

drama c weekend full of twists, turns and intriguing sub-plots has peacefully come to an end. An an climax in a way it has confounded the doomsday scenario.

The Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) deservedly got a pass mark from observers. We had a few glitches here and there but the improvement in logis cs coordina on was significant most importantly, the BIVAS worked. The applica on of technology is limi ng the space for the miscreants and poli cal merchants specialising in ballot box snatching, gangsterism and so forth.

The area of introspec on centers on whether the efficacy can be maintained when it is simultaneously in 36 states and the federal capital territory in a general elec on. There is s ll a lot of fine-tuning to be done.

And in a na onwide elec on, the undermanned security agencies will be stretched.

The President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari, reflec ng the spirit of democracy has swi ly congratulated the winner and so do we.

The spirit of democracy must be entrenched and there is no dissent in the acclama on that the elec on represents the expressed wish of the people of the State of Osun State. It is me to move on.

This also presents an opportunity to make the case for a transi on law at all levels. Ghana, South Africa, Mexico, the United States, amongst others all have admirable transi on laws and processes which kicks in immediately a er the declara on of the results by the electoral umpire even if the loser mounts a legal challenge.

A process guided by a transi on law is important if the winner is to ‘ ‘hit the ground running’. In the absence of such, the first few months in office effec vely becomes the transion process with the newly inaugurated office holder losing momentum.

Disillusionment as a result begins to set in in what should be a ‘honeymoon ‘ period. It is of the utmost importance to consider this proposal.

For the State of Osun and all the sub-na onals, the prospects are daun ng and difficult decisions will have to be taken. It behooves the incoming governor to work out a democra c agreement with all the

NESS, equity, and justice for all. This is a temporary set back it also presents an opportunity to rebuild in which those with the core progressive values must reclaim the party and be at the helm of affairs. The work must commence immediately”

stakeholders in both civil and poli cal society to carry everybody along.

We pray that it all goes well for social cohesion is vital in this difficult period.

As the beneficiary of the failure of party management in Osun State we wish the incoming governor well, ironically his much admired older brother one me Governor Isiaka Adeleke was in the progressive camp. nevertheless this is a me for reflecon and rebuilding in the progressive camp.

Progressive poli cs, ethos, mores and direc on in Yorubaland has since the me of the founda on of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa through to the Ac on Group, UPN and so forth, been interwoven on community values and inclusiveness. A poli cal party even in a one party state inevitably has facons and tendencies. The key point is always to emphasise inclusiveness.

The poli cs of exclusion played by intoxicated temporary sojourners cost the progressive camp the elec on.

Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka alluded to this fact at the weekend. Je soning the long established opera ng system of the ‘Big Tent’ is why there is now going to be a PDP government in the state of Osun.

Pu ng the avoidable electoral debacle behind us the APC in Osun must now be rebuilt from the base as rejuvenated progress working for the interests of the overwhelming majority and not just a few. The rebuilding must be anchored on INCLUSIVENESS, equity, and jus ce for all. This is a temporary set back it also presents an opportunity to rebuild in which those with the core progressive values must reclaim the party and be at the helm of affairs. The work must commence immediately.

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ATURDAY July 16, 2022, loss of the Osun governorship elec on by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) was long in coming. It will take naivety or dishonesty or both not to acknowledge this.

It was an elec on APC could have won hands down for many reasons. The first is the na onal weakening of the PDP. The party, having been alienated from power since 2015 and having no coherent leadership, is grossly and hopelessly adri . It is no longer in a posi on to rally its members and command resources; many of its haven already crossed to the APC or Peter Obi’s Labour Party.

Secondly, the party in Osun is divided into three fac ons, with three governorship candidates emerging from its fold.

The main candidate who eventually won, Senator Ademola Adeleke, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, who flew the flag of Accord party and Dotun Babayemi who eventually stepped down and supported Adeleke. At a point, Babayemi briefly enjoyed the ownership of the party’s flag, following an interlocutory grant from a court and it looked then like Adeleke was out of the race.

The third factor was the quality of the PDP candidate. Adeleke is a scion of the Adeleke dynasty in Ede. Their father, Ayoola Adeleke, was Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s ally and Second Republic senator. Isiaka Adeleke, Demola’s brother, was Third Republic and Osun’s first democra cally elected governor and serving senator before his death on April 23, 2017. Demola brought nothing, other than his gawdy dance steps and unending controversy on his educa onal qualifica on.

The last is the fillip that the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ought to have given the candidate of APC. It is well known that Osun is the ancestral home of the APC Presiden al Candidate and Governor Gboyega Oyetola is his uterine relaon. This should have rubbed off very well

“He saw the immediate past governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, his benefactor, under whom he served as Chief of Staff for eight years, as a competitor. He therefore failed Green’s first law of power, NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER”

on the Osun elec on. Indeed, Asiwaju was in Osun a whole week before the elec on, coordina ng the campaign and mobilising resources.

On a good day, it would have been impossible for the PDP to have won against APC, given these factors.

It is curious then, how PDP won, against all ra onal considera ons and APC managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The first is the crisis that began shortly a er the inaugura on of Governor Oyetola in 2018. He probably felt he was his own man and wanted to assert his bona fide on the state and its poli cs. But he forgot that he became governor ex nihilo and his emergence as the candidate of APC was as a result of the influence of Asiwaju, which almost cost the party the elec on. He saw the immediate past governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, his benefactor, under whom he served as Chief of Staff for eight years, as a compe tor. He therefore failed Green’s first law of power, ‘NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER’. The party never got over the crisis, going into the elec on, which eventually did them in.

The power of incumbency tends to give the occupier a false sense of superiority.

Oyetola and his men were never short of this. His own is compounded by his blood rela onship with Asiwaju. He had false confidence that Asiwaju alone would win the elec on for him. When the crisis in the party began, his supporters were wont to tell anyone that urged cau on that just one from Asiwaju to Aregbesola to go and work for Oyetola’s reelec on was enough.

Going into the elec on, he had divided the party into his loyalists versus ArPublisher – Moremi Publishing egbesola loyalists, as if the House Ltd. elec on was between him Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman and the former governor. He Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa never made any a empt to Reporter – Yusuf Oketola reconcile the two sides, beReporter – Kazeem Badmus ing fully persuaded that the Photo Journalist – Olushola Aderinto other side was inconsequenComputer Graphics – Zainab Olalere al to his reelec on. AregOSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing besola was not a member of the APC elec on council, House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, neither was he personally invited by the governor to State of Osun help him.

ISSN : 0794-8050 Rather, Governor OyetoTelephone : 0809-301-9152 la surrounded himself with Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php poli cal minions, especially e-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com those who le the party in osundefenderbank@gmail.com 2018 to contest against him.

All correspondence to the above email addresses.

•Continued on Page 6

OSUN DEFENDER

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News

Oyetola Lost Second Term Election Three Years Ago •Continued from Page 2 majority members of the APC to vote for him in the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on because of the fallout of the primary elec ons.

The APC members had expressed their dissa sfac on on the party’s primaries through several protests.

If Oyetola and Famodun had ini ated reconcilia on moves with TOP members by considering them for the state and na onal assembly ckets, the crisis would have been laid to rest.

TOP As Caucus Of Inconsequen al APC Members

Another factor that culminated into Oyetola’s defeat in the elec on was the total rejec on of members of The Osun Progressives (TOP) in the party.

Oyetola and his allies never considered the TOP members as members of the APC who should be persuaded.

The Director-General of Oyetola’s Campaign Council, Sen. Ajibola Basiru had on a private radio sta on described TOP members as ‘erunrun akara’, inconsequen al members of the party.

Also, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Remi Omowaiye, had always been bragging that Oyetola would win his re-elec on with or without Aregbesola and TOP. OSUN DEFENDER noted that at every available opportunity, the IleriOluwa fac on of the party had been a acking Aregbesola and TOP members.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is the patron of TOP, with people like the former Secretary to the State Government, Alh. Moshood Adeo , former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salaam, former State Secretary of the APC, Hon. Rasaq Salinsile, former Vice Chairman of the APC in Osun, Alh. Azeez Adesiji, among others, as leaders.

The APC caucus is populated with former local government chairmen, na onal and state lawmakers, ex-party execu ves, aspirants and members of the party who felt cheated and betrayed

by Oyetola across the state.

Barr. Kolapo Alimi, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chie aincy Affairs in the state was TOP Secretary before he defected to the PDP. Some of the TOP members had over a year ago vowed that they would never support Oyetola’s re-elec on because of his poli cal onslaught on Aregbesola, except they reconcile.

While the internal crisis lasted, Aregbesola’s loyalists, supporters and property suffered nothing less than 16 different attacks believed to have been sponsored by the governor’s loyalists.

Failure To Pay Salary Arrears To Civil Servants

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that majority of the civil servants and pensioners in the state voted massively for the Governor-elect, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, in the just concluded elec on.

The civil servants, who Oyetola and his strategists had relied on their votes, voted against the governor because of his failure to pay part of the arrears of modulated salary owed by the state government.

Oyetola had promised during his campaign in 2018 that he would offset, if not all, part of the salary arrears. But the governor has not fulfilled his promise as of the me of filing this report.

• Electorates waiting to cast their vote at Unit 10 Ward 8, St. Marks Commercial Secondary School, Osogbo.

Photo: Shola Aderinto.

When it dawned on the governor that the workers were not for him, the state government hurriedly issued promo on le ers to the civil servants, a move they described as a Greek gi .

Further findings also revealed that the workers voted against Oyetola to protest against Senator Iyiola Omisore, the governorship candidate of the Social Democra c Party (SDP) in the 2018 gubernatorial elec on.

According to the workers, they voted for Omisore in 2018 but he betrayed them by working with APC and Oyetola during the rerun of the governorship elec on.

OSUN DEFENDER also gathered that the workers were annoyed with their various union leaders who were dilly-dallying with Oyetola and remained silent on issues affec ng them.

It was learnt that the labour leaders failed to give each of the workers a sum of N5,000 which they promised them for the endorsement of Governor Oyetola for second term.

Singer Portable Murdered Decency

The roadshow of the upcoming controversial hip-hop ar ste, Habeeb Okikiola popularly known as Portable, to declare support for Governor Oyetola’s re-elec on last Thursday was also part of the reasons why some electorates voted against the APC. According to residents of the state, Okikiola’s conduct during the roadshow was awful, sta ng that no decent person would associate himself/herself with the singer’s product.

The singer’s show where he stripped himself half naked, resulted into traffic on the Ogo-Oluwa-Olaiya-Oke-Fia axis of Osogbo, a situa on that did not go down well with road users and traders in the areas.

The zazu crooner was accompanied by the Commissioner for Works and Transport, a key member of Oyetola’s cabinet, and some notorious thugs in Osogbo.

APC Lost Because Oyetola Refuses To Se le With Aregbesola – Obaditan

•Habeeb Okikiola known as portable during his roadshow to declare support for Gov. Adegboyega Oyetola.

Commen ng on the elec on, a poli cal analyst, Barr. Yomi Obaditan, said: “APC lost because governor Oyetola refused to se le dispute with Aregbesola, he and his team distance themselves with some of us that were closer to Aregbesola.

“Most of the people that le APC for opposi on pares were regarded inconsequen al. When I men oned it on radio that the division could lead to the APC given their meals to the beggers, they were too haughty to reason with us.

“So, it is a ma er of self-

inflicted wounds. Aregbesola fought PDP and won a er three years and six months in court, while some of the bootlickers were nowhere to be found.

“Aregbesola built the party while the present leaders destroyed it because of their ego. They blindly condemned all the achievements of the man. Who is licking the wounds now? Aregbesola is an avatar that no individual can destroy.”

Oyetola Surrounds Himself With Paperweight Politicians - Alimi Kazeem Badmus

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HE Deputy DirectorGeneral of Adeleke Campaign Council in the just concluded governorship elecon in the state of Osun, Barr.

Kolapo Alimi, yesterday, said the result of the elec on has shown that the governor of the state, Adegboyega Oyetola is surrounded by paperweight poli cians.

According to Alimi, the said poli cians had been opera ng under former governor Rauf Aregbesola’s poli cal influence during his tenure.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with OSUN DEFENDER, Alimi said he was not surprised that Oyetola lost the elec on, saying Osun people, especially those at the strongholds of the APC were only vo ng for the party because of Aregbesola.

Alimi noted that the consequences of cas ga ng Aregbesola and relying on policians who only care about ‘what they will eat’ is already staring Oyetola in the face.

He said: “I’m not surprised that Oyetola lost the elec on.

I knew in my mind that there is no amount of effort that Governor Oyetola could put into his re-elec on that will materialised because his policies are so nega ve.

“Instead of apprecia ng his former leader and benefactor, he was cas ga ng Aregbesola and the people of Osun are bewildered at his behaviour. People in Osun are saying ‘this is the person you served for eight years’. How could you have served some-

body and have a policy focus of destroying the person’s legacy?

“So, I knew he will lose from moral and performance perspec ves. The performance of Oyetola was below average. He used lies to cover up and the people are wise.

He has lost and I believe many people will learn from this.

“Most of the poli cians around him (Oyetola) are over-ra ng themselves. These people are paper weight policians who used to hide under Aregbesola but instead of apprecia ng him, they were busy cas ga ng him.

They removed the canopy on themselves and the truth has prevailed now.

“Both Osogbo and Olorunda local governments were won by the PDP. That shows to the world that the people in those local government have been vo ng for APC, and not because of Ajibola Basiru.

“People in Osogbo love Aregbesola and not any other person. Osogbo people rejected APC this me around because of the way Oyetola and his people treated Aregbesola. Anybody who is a poli cal follower of events in Osun would have known that Osogbo people will not vote for Oyetola with the way he was cas ga ng Aregbesola.

“The consequences of Oyetola’s ac ons is what he is witnessing today. From the me the APC campaign council was set up, they le out Aregbesola who is the only man that knows the terrain of polics in Osun, I knew they have dug their own grave”.

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Observer Groups Decry High Level Of Voter Inducement, Compromise Of Voting Cubicles Ismaeel Uthman

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WO non-governmental organisa ons who observed the Saturday’s governorship elecon in the State of Osun have jointly decried what they called, ‘high level of voter inducement and compromise,’ of the vo ng cubicles during the elecon period.

A notable elec on observer, Yiaga Africa, said the elec on was marred with malprac ces among which were high level of inducement and compromise of the voters’ cubicles.

The Board Chairman of Yiaga Africa, Dr. Hussaini Abdu, stated this while addressing newsmen in Osogbo.

This is just as Mr. Ene Obi, the Convener of Nigeria Civil Society Situa on Room, said voter inducement tainted the credibility of the elec on.

YIAGA Africa recommended that the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) should uphold the secrecy of ballots in future elec ons in the country.

Giving the appraisal, the group added that the

•An electoral officer using the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System to capture a voter at Unit 11 Ward 3, Olorunda LG, during the last governorship election. electoral umpire should also audit the newly created Polling Units and ensure even distribu on of Polling Units.

The group said: “While observing acts of vote buying in Akinlalu and Iree towns, YIAGA Africa disclosed that informa on from its observers in the

field revealed that voter in mida on by All Progressives Congress (APC) thugs was carried out in Iragbiji.”

It also stated that in Ogbaagba town, Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) thugs threatened to disrupt the electoral process.

Referring to the service of security agencies dur-

ing Saturday’s vo ng, the group recommended that security personnel conduct themselves with civility.

YIAGA also suggested that appropriate sanc ons should be imposed for electoral act viola on.

Commen ng on the elec on, Ene Obi, the Convener of Nigeria Civil Soci-

Uproar Over Nonpayment Of APC Party Agents Sodiq Yusuf

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EMBERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun have called on Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and Chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun, to pay the party’s agents used in Saturday’s governorship elec on.

OSUN DEFENDER observed that there was uproar on the payment of the party agents as members of the party took to their social media handles to complain that they have not been paid two days a er the elec on.

The APC members were obviously afraid that the Governor and the APC leadership might not pay them a er losing the elec on to Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP).

However, the medium learnt that it is the usual prac ce of the party not to pay its agents for any elecon un l a week a er.

One of the APC members who spoke with the medium on a telephone interview yesterday said: “Normally, the party will not pay the agents un l after a week. We have seen instances where we were even paid a er two weeks.

Our party don’t pay agents

instantly.

“What brought uproar on the payment of party agents for the governorship elec on is because we lost to PDP. People believe that the Governor and party Chairman may not want to pay the party agents again because we lost the elecon. That is the issue.”

But another APC member said the money should have been paid on Saturday, saying that was what the party promised the agents.

He said: “What we were told by the party leaders what that the party agents would paid on Saturday evening. They told us

that the money has been released. But none of the party agents has been paid ll now; that is why people are moun ng pressure on the APC leaders to pay them.

“We are afraid that because the Governor has lost the elec on, he might not want to pay again.”

ety Situa on Room, said: “The BVAS were deployed according to the number of registered voters. In polling units with over 1,000 voters, INEC kept to its promise to deploy two BVAS machines. The machines func oned credibly well.

“There were issues with the fingerprint verifica ons, however the facial capture worked very well recording approximately one minute for accreditaon and vo ng in Osogbo and in outside areas, it took longer.

“Yiaga Africa received and verified the following cri cal incident reports: Voter Inducement/ Bribery: Yiaga Africa received reports of acts of vote buying perpetrated

by agents of the APC and PDP in some polling units.

“For instance, PU 009, Akinlalu Commercial Grammar School, Ward 01 in Ife North. The party agents strategically posi oned themselves by the vo ng cubicle to see how voters marked their ballots.

“In PU 003 Opp. Olomu Mosque in Osogbo, PDP party agents were seen handing out between N2000 and N5000 to induce voters. Also, in Disu Polling Unit 003, ward 7 in Orolu LGA, APC agents were seen distribu ng N4000 to voters who voted for the party while PDP party agents were seen distribu ng N2000 to induce voters.

“There was open negoa on of buying and selling of votes well-coordinated by the polling agents in many of the polling units.

There were no complaints from any of them against each other. Codes and coupons were used to extract commitments from voters as opposed to the blatant money exchanging hands observed in the Eki State Governorship elec on.”

The groups however commended the people of the State of Osun for coming out early to cast their votes especially the elderly who waited in queues paently.

“INEC’s deployment of materials and personnel should also be commended. Vote trading was recorded in most of the areas observed par cularly outside Osogbo. As vo ng con nues, we call on all stakeholders to maintain the peaceful atmosphere recorded so far.”

Turnout Of Underage Voters In Osun Election Our Reporters

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HE July 16 governorship elec on in the State of Osun had a turnout of underage voters.

OSUN DEFENDER reporters who monitored the exercise statewide noted the presence of teenagers who had voter cards, and turned out to cast their votes.

The situa on was prac cally evident at Ward 09, Unit 01, Akoda, Ede South Local Government as well as Ward 08, Units 02 and 01, IleOgbo in Ayedire local government area of the state.

The situa on was also the same at Ataoja ‘A’ Ward 01 Units 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 as well as

in Ward 04 and 05, Osogbo local government.

It was a similar occurrence in places like Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Ikirun, Ila, Iwo among others.

Inquiring why the young voters besieged the polling units, a resident who voted at Ward 08, Unit 02, Ayedire local government, and prayed not to be named, a ributed the influx of the underage voters to the voter inducement in the elecon.

She noted that a lot of parents jacked up the age of their children to ensure that they registered during the Con nuous Voter Registra on exercise CVR, as they wanted them to benefit from the largesse dolled out

by poli cal par es at the poll.

She said: “I had envisaged this will happen. A lot of people were here during the CVR. This is because they knew the par es would share money during this elec on.

That was what happened. People brought their children here to register. That is why they are here in their numbers to vote.

“All of the par es here are buying votes and that’s why these teenagers have been mobilised to come and vote for their par es.”

Condemning the development, a rights ac vist, Comrade Femi Adebisi, said the situa on is an ugly trend in the na on’s democ-

racy.

Adebisi said the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders should ensure that voter inducement and vote buying are nipped in the bud, saying it not healthy for the country’s democracy.

He said: “Under-

age vo ng is uncons tu onal. It should be curbed.

Perpetrators should face the juvenile charges. It is that bad. We must do everything to sani se our democracy. Non-eligible voters should be disallowed from vo ng. Parents should desist from such.”

APC Wins Aregbesola’s Polling Unit Sodiq Yusuf

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) won the July 16 governorship elec on in Unit 1, Ward 8, Ilesa, Ilesa East Local Government of the State of Osun.

Unit 1, Ward 8, Ilesa, is the polling unit of the

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

APC polled APC 164 against to defeat the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) which scored 134.

The party also won in the Minister’s unit, ward and Ilesa East local government.

TUESDAY, JULY 19 - THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

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Osun Poll: We Foresaw The Electoral Defeat, Says Salinsile, Adebiyi Yusuf Oketola

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HE fac onal Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun, Hon. Rasaq Salinsile, has and the Chairman of The Osun Progressives (TOP), Rev. Lowo Adebiyi, have disclosed that they foresaw the electoral defeat of the party in last Saturday’s governorship elec on.

Both Salinsile and Adebiyi, in separate interviews, stated that the internal crisis rocking the party robbed it of victory at the poll.

Salinsile said it was obvious that the lack of unity in the party caused by “Oyetola’s poli cs of segrega on” cost the APC victory at the poll.

The Chairman said he had seen the electoral defeat ahead of me and ran to party leaders, among who are former Na onal Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, for interven on.

According to Salinsile, Oyetola should not have played poli cs of segrega on or blacklisted anyone linked to the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

He said: “But it is an obvious fact that Governor Oyetola came to destroy our party. We all worked as a united family to install him as governor in spite of all odds. But the moment he got there, he started poli cs of segrega on and divide and rule tac cs which he thought he could use to whip everybody back in line; par cularly, he was against anything Aregbesola.

“How on earth can you be a Chief of Staff to a si ng governor for good eight years and pretended to him to be what you were not? I have never met that kind of person in my life and I am not a young man.

“He was not yet sworn in when he started the segregaon, poli cs of hatred. Anybody that have anything to do with the immediate past governor of the state, Aregbesola; automa cally, you become one of the members in his black book.”

“How can the leader of a house behave that way and you think that house will be peaceful? We said it severally without mincing words so that those who have ears would hear. We went to our leaders star ng with Baba Akande to the na onal chairman of the APC. Asiwaju sent one Alhaji Masari from Katsina state to us; he was the place holder for the APC presiden al candidate.

“He said our resolu ons should be wri en down that he would come back the following day to collect it, saying Asiwaju gave him that assignment. Up ll today, we have not seen him. He never came back.”

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, the Chairman of

The Osun Progressives (TOP), Rev. Lowo Adebiyi, said: “You are aware that we have an unse led internal crisis ll the elec on day. Secondly, the mobiliza on for the elecon was not enough.

“There are a lot of issues that the state government is ba ling with -civil servants’ issues, the issue of backlog of allowances and things like that; even the economic situa on of our country, the

unemployment rate – All of these affected our party, but the main thrust is that we are not united as a party.

“What happened is very unfortunate, but this affords us a lesson to learn. We are now going to the drawing board and then restrategise for 2023. We believe that before the 2023 elec ons, we would have had a strong and united APC in Osun State.”

Adebiyi debunked insinu-

a ons that the caucus loyal to Aregbesola did not vote for the APC, insis ng that TOP mobilised members for the elec on.

In his comment, the faconal Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Comrade Abiodun Agboola, also a ributed the APC loss in the governorship poll to the internal wrangling within the party.

Agboola said, “The elec-

on has come and gone and winner has emerged. No organisa on can go into an elec on with division without suffering a humilia ng defeat the progressives suffered in Osun on Saturday.

“Part of our problem is the internal wrangling and we clamoured that the party should intervene to resolve the crisis before the elec-

on. What led to the internal wrangling is exclusion and when you exclude some people from par cipa ng, that is the kind of result you will get.

“I hope the party will learn from this and set things straight because we are s ll going for the presiden al elec on in 2023 and that is some few months away.”

OsunDecides: Those Who Insulted Bola Ige’s Osun Guber: CSO, Businessman Commend Memories ‘Justly Served’ – Soyinka Taunts APC INEC, Security Operatives Kazeem Badmus

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HE Coali on of Civil Society Elec on Observers for the July 16 governorship elec on in the State of Osun has commended the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) and security opera ves for the peaceful conduct of the elec on.

This is just as the Managing Director of Azkol Oil Interna onal, Alh. Azeez Kolade, lauded INEC over what he described as innova on that led to a free and fair governorship elec on in the state.

Kolade, who is the Aare Musulumi of Ilobuland, opined that with the advent of the Bimodal Voters Accredita on system, Nigeria has started to get it right as her democra c journey connues.

The oil magnate encouraged INEC to go further to introduce other devices that can completely eliminate all forms of electoral malpracces, saying that will deepen democracy in Nigeria.

He congratulated INEC and people of the State of Osun in general for allowing their votes to count by keying into the improvements introduced by INEC for elimina ng some of electoral malpracces.

Kolade also congratulated the Governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke on his victory and urged him to be magnanimous in victory.

In a communique issued at the end of the elec on, the Coali on of INEC Accredited Civil Society Domes c Observer Groups also commended INEC for doing ‘everything to ensure a credible process in the state.’

The group also lauded security opera ves for their professional conduct during the elec on, adding that there was no record of in mida on or harassment by the security agents.

According to the group in the communique signed by its Na onal Coordinator and Secretary, Comrade Fidelis Nweke and Comrade Peter Nwokolo respec vely, INEC performed sa sfactorily on the strict compliance on the usage of Bimodal Voter Accredita on System (BIVAS),

saying the machine was effecve during the elec on.

The group however noted that some poli cal par es tried to disrupt the process and thwart the efforts of the electoral management body.

The communique reads: “We note with sa sfac on that INEC’s uncompromising posi on on the strict compli-

•Akolade.

ance on the use of the Bimodal Voter Accredita on System (BIVAS) which was considerably effec ve during the elec on as well as ac onable interven on by the electoral management body in areas of conflict and other viola ons, to a very large extent, defined the en re exercise and consolidated INEC’s posi on as a truly unbiased electoral umpire, commi ed to advancing the democra sa on process in the country.

“The Various security agencies, especially men of the Nigeria Police Force and the Army are hereby applauded for their impressive professional conduct during the elec on.

There was no record of security in mida on and harassment due to their overzealousness and unnecessary interference.

“The exercise met Interna onal standard for credible democra c elec on. The result should therefore be accepted by all as a true reflec on of the will of the people of Osun State.”

Yusuf Oketola

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OBEL laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has described the defeat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded governorship elec on in the State of Osun as “the voice of Bola Ige resounding from beyond the grave.”

Soyinka reacted to the ruling party’s loss in a statement on Sunday.

It would be recalled that Soyinka had in April 2022 frowned at the emergence of Sen. Iyiola Omisore as the Na onal Secretary of the APC, sta ng that his posi on in the ruling party puts paid to any re-inves ga on into the murder of the former A orney-General of the Federa on and Minister of Jus ce.

Omisore, who was the candidate of the Social Democra c Party (SDP) in the 2018 governorship

elec on in the state, was the prime suspect in Ige’s murder.

Ige was killed in in Ibadan residence on December 24, 2001.

Reac ng to Osun elecon, Soyinka said: “Those who conspired to catapult his destroyers to unmerited na onal prominence, to insult the memories of the living, and je son basic ethical constraints, have been justly served.”

“It is a lesson that speaks to other zones of righ ul public expectaons, equity, and just entlements. One despairs but con nues to hope that there are s ll recep ve minds in which such lessons will germinate.

“If we may adapt a wise saying from the ancients: the beast of burden, nicknamed Equity, ambles its mined course to des naon but, sooner or later, that donkey arrives.”

Why APC Lost Osun And The Danger Still Ahead •Continued from Page 3 He added to the mix the tradi onal and ideological enemies of the party and enlisted just anyone who will join him in the fight against Aregbesola. They did not disappoint him.

His term was no ceable for the fight with his former principal and everyone associated with him. He prac cally undid Aregbesola’s programmes one a er the other and the ones he could not undo, he just stopped them.

He was implacable and totally uninterested in any other thing. An -Aregbesola became the principal direcve and guiding principle of governance. In that instance, sycophancy was not in short supply, as government officials openly a ack Aregbesola and compete to outdo each other in this macabre dance.

Things began to deteriorate as the governor unofficially banned Aregbesola from coming to the state. Any me the minister was billed to come to Osun for one assignment or the other, the governor’s men will plant in the media allega on that he was coming to foment trouble.

It took a turn for the worse, out of power drunkenness, I guess, as Aregbesola’s men were being arrested by the police and arraigned in court for no par cular offence.

Oyetola destroyed the coali on that made him governor.

Going into the elec on, the APC had become the old PDP, everything the people loathed, their nightmare long forgo en – in brigandage, thuggery, wickedness, selfish, patently an -people, careless, rudderless, chao c, votebuying and worse, lacking ideological focus.

In contrast, Aregbesola as governor, since his inaugura on in November 2010, hit the ground running. He had panache and engaged the people poli cally and governmentally. He was accessible, as his office and homes were accessible to the people 24 hours. His human interven on programmes touched every segment of society. Through it, he was able to transfer resources directly to the people. Even vagrants and luna cs were touched by his ad-

ministra on. He was able to expand microeconomics and unleashed a prosperity never before experienced in Osun, which made him to win elec ons, even a er demolishing houses and owed workers salaries.

He raised the bar of governance and never ceased to excite the people un l he completed his record two terms and le . He endeared himself to the people and they were hoping that his successor would maintain the tempo.

But Oyetola was eli st, with his government lacking any ideological focus. He was paying salaries and concentrated on programmes that reached not more than 25 per cent of the people, without much backwash effect. He was inaccessible, as the gates of his office and residence were shut against party members and the people. This amounts to disengagement from the people and it came with serious deleterious consequences as the same people now look at the Aregbesola administra on Oyetola is figh ng with nostalgia. It is therefore not difficult for them therefore to decide on who to support in the fight.

Going into an elec on, Aregbesola would leverage on his performance. The party would have been organised in a top to bo om way, as members would be well mobilised on elec on day to the polling booths. But the party had been destroyed by Oyetola, so he relied on vote-buying, even as his henchmen were boas ng that they would simply write the result. While this policy got him a lot of votes, it could not get him enough to win. Many voters got his money and voted for the opposi on, others simply refused to collect money, and would rather vote their conscience.

The PDP winning therefore is rather a protest vote against Oyetola and not as much the love for Adeleke or his PDP. Going into the general elec on next year, there is s ll room to make amends and approach it with a united house, failing which the consequences would be disastrous for the party. This is because PDP would be enlivened by this victory and would have more resources by then.

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Residents, Party Members Storm Streets To Celebrate Adeleke’s Victory Yusuf Oketola

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ESIDENTS of the State of Osun and members of the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) have been celebrating the victory of Sen. Ademola Adeleke as the governor-elect in Saturday’s gubernatorial elec on in the state.

Adeleke defeated the incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola a er polling 402,371 votes as against 375,027 votes garnered by his major opponent.

Upon the announcement of Adeleke as the winner of the elec on on Sunday morning, the residents and party faithful were seen driving, running and walking on major streets of Osogbo, Ede and other parts of the state jubila ng and singing victory songs with PDP’s flag flying.

Some members of the

PDP were seen trooping to the country home of the Governor-elect in Ede in large numbers.

Some of the jubilants party faithful and residents in Osogbo were holding harmful objects like cutlasses, clubs, bo les and charms.

From Ogo-Oluwa, to Olaiya, Oke-Fia, Old Garage and Ayetoro, some of the jubilant people were seeing driving recklessly while others were having rough play on the major roads.

The celebra on was suspended around 12pm and resumed around 5pm in Osogbo.

Oyetola Billboard Destroyed In Osogbo After Adeleke’s Victory Some campaign billboards of Governor Oyetola were destroyed in Osogbo during the celebra on of Adeleke’s victory.

Osun Governorship Election Result For APC And PDP LGA 1 Boluwaduro 2 Ilesa East 3 Osogbo 4 Ila 5 Atakumosa West 6 Ifelodun 7 Ilesa West 8 Ayedire 9 Odo Otin 10 Boripe 11 Obokun 12 Orolu 13 Olorunda 14 Ife North 15 Ifedayo 16 Ife Central 17 Irepodun 18 Oriade 19 Ayedade 20 Ola Oluwa 21 Iwo 22 Ede South 23 Isokan 24 Irewole 25 Ejigbo 26 Ede North 27 Egbedore 28 Atakumosa East 29 Ife South 30 Ife East TOTAL

APC

PDP

5,649 13,452 22,952 11,163 6,601 16,068 10,777 7,868 13,482 21,205 9,727 9,928 18,709 9,964 5,016 17,880 12,122 14,189 14,527 9,123 17,421 5,704 10,833 18,198 14,355 9,603 9,228 7,449 12,481 19,353 375,027

5,860 10,960 30,401 13,036 7,750 17,107 13,769 7,402 14,003 7,595 13,575 10,282 21,350 10,359 4,730 13,532 14,369 15,947 13,380 7,205 16,914 19,438 10,777 14,216 18,065 23,931 13,230 6,992 9,116 18,071 403,362

•Mammoth crowd at the residence of the governor elect, State of Osun, Sen. Ademola Adeleke in Ede, on Sunday.

OSUN DEFENDER noced that the campaign billboards erected at Okefia, Olaiya, Alekuwodo and Ogo-Oluwa were destroyed by suspected members of

the PDP among the jubilant crowd.

Also, the Governor’s campaign placards attached to streets lights along Gbongan/Osogbo

road were destroyed by the jubilant residents on their way to Adeleke’s residence in Ede. The celebra ng members of the public were

chan ng ‘Oyetola Lule’ (Oyetola has lost), ‘Imole De’ (Light has come), Bye bye to APC as they moved with motorcade of cars on the road.

Famodun, Basiru, Others Lose LGs To PDP Kazeem Badmus

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ROMINENT leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun lost their respec ve local governments to the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) at the July 16 governorship elec on in the state.

The APC leaders whom many believed would deliver their individual’s local government and cons tuencies for Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s re-elec on performed woefully.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that in Ila local government, the hometown of the first Na onal Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, the PDP candidate, Sen. Ademola Adeleke won by polling 13,036 votes against

•Omowaiye.

•Famoodun.

•Bashiru.

Oyetola’s 11,163 votes.

Akande, a former governor of the state and na onal leader of the party was widely expected to win the local government for APC, considering his posi on in the party and his contribu on in facilita ng a Federal University to the town.

Also, the Chairman of the APC in the State, Prince Gboyega Famodun, Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Femi Popoola and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Poli cal Ma ers, Mr. Sunday Akere were unable to deliver Boluwaduro local government for APC. Famodun and Akere are from Igbajo, while Popoola is from OtanAyegbaju, the headquarters of the local govern-

ment.

Oyetola polled 5,649 votes while Adeleke secured 5,860 votes in the local government.

In Osogbo, the Director-General of Oyetola’s Campaign Council, Dr. Ajibola Basiru lost his Ward 7 and the en re Osogbo local government.

Since the return of democracy in 1999, progressives party has always been winning the local government un l the last governorship elec on.

The local government which is the stronghold of APC in the past elecons and which many had believed Oyetola would win turned out to be his nightmare.

Basiru who is the current Senator representing Osun Central at the Senate, had boasted on several occasions that

the PDP candidate cannot be a clerk in an organisa on not to talk of leading a state.

The Senate spokesperson was also among those who claimed that the leaders of The Osun Progressives (TOP), a caucus within the APC, are of no value, describing them as paper weight poli cians.

But the senator was unable to win his own ward and local government where Adeleke recorded 30,401 votes to defeat Oyetola who polled 22,952 votes.

Basiru voted at unit 5, Ward 7. APC had 178 votes while PDP polled 67 in the unit.

However, the senator lost his ward to PDP which total vote was 1715 against APC’s 1650 votes.

Also, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Remi Omowaiye and the APC candidate for Osun East Senatorial District in the 2023 general elec ons, Hon. Ajibola Famurewa were soundly defeated

by PDP in their Ilesa West local government.

Adeleke polled 13,769 to defeat Oyetola who recorded 10,777 votes.

Omowaiye is one of the Oyetola’s kitchen cabinet members.

ISSN : 0794 - 8050

News APC Wins Aregbesola’s Polling Unit

TUESDAY, JULY 19 - THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022 VOL. 17 NO 28 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

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LATO said, “No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth.” From 2021 especially in the period leading to Osun APC Ward, Local and State congresses, I had con nuously warned Governor Oyetola and his IleriOluwa caucus to tread so ly and accommodate the wishes of majority of APC members.

In the July 24, 2021 edi on, which was about a week to Osun APC July 31, 2021 Ward Congress, I wrote, “in the newly appointed caretaker commi ee contrapon and aberra on unknown to le ers and spirit of the 1999 Cons tu on of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, Governor Oyetola clinically ensured that nobody with affilia on with Ogbeni emerged. Everyone who is suspected to be affiliated with TOP is edged out of the local government caretakers. It was IleriOluwa all through! Again, TOP Coordinator in Isokan Local Government, Hon. Tunde Boladale, was invited by the State Security Service (SSS) for ques oning over pe ness of an alleged abuse of Governor Oyetola in a heated debate between the Hounorable and an IleriOluwa follower.

These developments have polarised the party and put it in a delicate posi on to win in any future democra c elec on in the state.......July 31st ward congress will be the template upon which the dangling soul of the party will be rescued or lost.”

Furthermore, on 3rd of August, 2021 edi on tled “Fallout From Osun APC Ward Congress” to dissect Osun APC July 31, 2021 Ward Congress where governor Oyetola’s fac on of the party, which didn’t prepare for elec on that majority of the party members wanted, hired thugs and security men to in midate, harass and chase party members away from vo ng to choose their leaders, I wrote in the last two paragraphs, “Deceiving people is one thing; self-decep on is a path to perdion. Osun APC is suffering from epidural haemorrhage inflicted on it by IleriOluwa caucus. If it is not too late, Governor Gboyega Oyetola and his IleriOluwa caucus must quickly abandon braggadocio and self-deceit, return to playing by party rules and regula ons for level contests if they believe they are popular or, if in selfdoubt as they are, seek true reconciliaon with all aggrieved party leaders and members. A seasoned poli cian must be able to hold forth his/her party first and aggressively woo other party members, even main opposi on, to his/her fold. It is incongruous for a governor to alienate his party Vice Chairman, State Secretary and other leaders only to be hobnobbing with the Chairman and some lesser officers.”

“A tree does not make forest. It is only a cohesive party that can canvass popular votes before elec ons, defend its votes from being manipulated or stolen during elec ons and be commi ed to sacrifice everything to assure victory. A governor earnestly seeking a second term would not ac vely partake in ac ons and inac ons that will polarise his party. It is against the rule. If the local and state congresses met this messy situa on on ground, the caucus 4+4=8 mantra will not only be a farce but an illusion in delusion.

A Yoruba adage will say: You’re not wanted in town but waxing song, if the song is ready, who will chorus it for you? A word should be enough for the wise.”

Again, on 27th August, 2021, a week to Osun APC Local Government Congress

Osun APC Self-Induced Pitfall slated for 4th September, 2021, I wrote, “Meanwhile, Local Government Congress is slated for September 4 and the outcome of the resolu on of the controversial ward congress will be the template with which it will be built. If the APC Na onal Secretariat could not resolve the ma er before then, Osun Local Government Congress may be postponed. If it is not postponed, other caucuses like TOP who felt cheated may head to court to halt the process or boyco the exercise as nothing can be built on nothing.

Whichever way, it is such that apart from a fair resolu on of outstanding issues by the Na onal Secretariat, Osun APC is in self-inflicted crisis that has capacity to consume it. I am very familiar with ‘stooping to conquer’, grandstanding to be defeated is alien to me. Governor Oyetola is the one who is ambi ous to come back as a governor for second term. Such a person should be tolerant and not be seen as to be aliena ng and confronta onal. Opposi on to Oyetola’s ambi on within his party is very stupendous because of his aliena on and confronta onal posture. This is just one leg. Another is an average voter who is not a card-carrying member but studying a tude and disposi on of poli cal players in both the ruling and opposi on par es to determining who he votes in general elecon. Except Oyetola knows what nobody knows, vote is a func on of number. How could the State Government at all, under his watch, arraign Elder Lowo Adebiyi, immediate past APC State Chairman; Hon. Rasaq Salinsile, Caretaker State Secretary of the party; Hon. Biyi Odunlade, immediate past Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Special Needs and a Chie ain of TOP who recently, a er the ward congress appeal hearing, survived assassina on attempt and his property and home vandalised; Barr. Gbenga Akano, immediate past Assistant Chief of Staff; Engr. Kazeem Salami, former Commissioner for Works and

Transport; Alaba Popoola, APC member in Ilesa and Azeez Adekunle before Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara for a trumped-up charges, following their leadership roles in the ward congress appeal commi ee with the inten on to send them to correconal centre?” I concluded in the ar cle with this, “A pest digs its grave, thinking it is wreaking havoc on its host. Although, no candidate has yet emerged, July 16, 2022 electoral examinaon is fast approaching and any candidate that eventually emerges and chooses to relegate serious studies to the background but relies on chea ng (aka ‘espo’) is bound to fail.

Hard work, tolerance, cooperation and wooing opposition to one’s side, having consolidated one’s house, is the potent way to electoral success. A clever physically challenged person does not perish in a no fied war. An elderly masquerade dances gently. A word seems to be enough for the wise.”

In February 22 edi on, I wrote again, tled, “APC Primaries: Victory Built On Sand” where I exhibited how shambolic the exercise - 19 February, 2022 APC governorship primary - was. On 14 June, 2022 edi on which was about 3 weeks to July 16, 2022 governorship elec on, I wrote under the tle, “Osun APC: Getng Poli cal Sense,” “Having won the primary despite the glaring inadequacies here and there, instead of closing ranks and assuage those aggrieved by bringing everybody to the house, Governor Oyetola again chose to look away and further went for the heads of his perceived enemies in the party. Just like 19th February charade tagged primary, exact scenario played out in the May 26, 27 and 29 primaries for the aspirants contes ng State House of Assembly, House of Representa ves and Senate respec vely. As I write, Osun APC is yet to announce winners of the State House of Assembly primaries which never took

“A tree does not make forest. It is only a cohesive party that can canvass popular votes before elections, defend its votes from being manipulated or stolen during elections and be committed to sacrifice everything to assure victory. A governor earnestly seeking a second term would not actively partake in actions and inactions that will polarise his party. It is against the rule”

Pg. 5

place but the pa ern is clear – write out preferred names of “loyalists” and submit to the na onal secretariat and INEC as APC candidates. Oyetola/Famodun leadership must be living in self-delusion that holding the list of those it imposed on the party members ll a er July 16 elec on will be a face-saving triumph.

No, it won’t! People are no fools. Right from the 19th February charade, some APC members have been constantly defec ng to PDP. This latest House of Assembly kangaroo with which form was bought at N2million, refusal to conduct primaries and imposi on of candidates on the people, especially without refund of their money cannot boost party fortunes. This latest ac on has forced a lot of APC members, again, especially those aspirants who felt cheated with the kangaroo primaries, to seek other poli cal par es to contest the State Assembly Elec on. These protestants, with their supporters in droves, will definitely vote for their new par es on July 16. This is a poli cal haemorrhage for APC. Despite that, some hardcore progressives who find it difficult to be comfortable anywhere else passively remain in APC, it has lost and con nued to lose so many grassroots mobilisers and canvassers to feeling of disdain from the party leadership as some are being treated like common criminals for no jus fiable reason.”

I concluded that, “Oyetola should learn from Asiwaju. Despite bickering, hue and cry against some perceived “ingrates” and “disloyal allies” before the 8th June, 2022 APC presiden al primary, immediately he won and became the APC presiden al candidate, Asiwaju immediately visited all his co-contestants and closed ranks with them that his winning is a collec ve project. In bourgeois poli cs, a smart leader will do almost everything to win every member of his/ her party people to his/her side and try to genuinely recruit from the opposi on if opportunity presents itself rather than aliena on and persecu on of grassroots party members on an alleged loyalty to a perceived enemy-within who is a poten al ally. Three weeks is a very long me in poli cal calcula on and permuta on. In the July 16 governorship elecon, no poli cal party will have monopoly of votes buying, use thugs and other an -democra c tendencies. What will ma er most are party structures, dedica on of members at grassroots, and the implacable logic of the non-aligned majority of the electorates who had witnessed the nega vi es of the disrup ve proceedings for over three years.”

Therefore, poor management of intra-party crises and poor choices made led to APC defeat in the July 16 governorship elec on to opposi on PDP. The buck passing and blame that Aregbesola factor was responsible for the defeat is illogical. Lessons have been learnt.

What ma ers now is how to come together for Asiwaju victory that is already encountering challenges instead of travelling the same egois c and foolhardy road that led APC to avoidable debacle in the July 16 elec ons in the first instance. Only fools do same thing repeatedly and expect different result.

I only hope that voice of reason will prevail over inordinate misadventure in poli cs.

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