Oyetola’s second term bid and enemies within APC

Correspondent BLESSING AKOROWOSI in this analysis examines the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC in the State of Osun, its threat to the re-election bid of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and proffers the way forward for the ruling party.

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand”, says the Scriptures which is why all contending forces in the State of Osun All Progressives Congress, APC should embrace peace and unite as the gubernatorial election draws near.

The incumbent governor, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola has encountered emotional, personality, and administrative confrontations since the inception of his tenure in November 2018.  While the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has pointed accusing fingers at the government, some aggrieved members in the ruling party in the State are also grumbling.

Then, a political group was berthed with the full backing of the Minister of Interior and immediate past governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola called The Osun Progressives(TOP). Its inauguration raised eyebrows and chastisement but they boldly said their mission was to correct the observed anomaly in APC and reawaken party activities at the secretariat of the party, adding that they are not a splinter group.

Comprising experienced and influential politicians under the chairmanship of Elder Adebiyi Adelowo who was the former state party chairman, such a group would have been applauded for its commitment to the development of the party if it kept to its promised objectives.

Though what it pledged was unity and joint effort for the APC to retain power in the state come next year, its apparent antagonistic tendencies and actions have prevailed, deepening the party’s crisis.

In the past few months, Aregbesola’s loyalists are either raising one alarm or the other each day, in what political analysts have described as a dangerous attempt to distract the focused, people-oriented administration of Governor Oyetola.

They see his (Oyetola) policies as against their patron while their critical approaches and responses have not helped the party they vowed to restore.

On the other hand, Oyetola’s aides have not slacked in firing back, rather hot and directly while the governor is always suing for peace and unity of party members, insisting that his reelection next year is in God’s hands and not in the hands of men.

But the glaring widening crack in the Osun APC’s wall has been noticed by the PDP and other political parties in the state which are leaving no stone unturned in order to take full advantage of it ahead of next year’s governorship election.

The last gubernatorial election was closely fought by the PDP and APC before the latter triumphed even when factional camps seemed not to exist then. So the pertinent question one may ask is: what does 2022 has in stock for the crisis-ridden APC in the state? The answer according to an analyst who pleaded anonymity is blowing in the wind.

Going by the unfolding deepening intra-party crisis in the state,

It seems like as the election day scheduled for July 16, 2022 draws near which is less than a year, the combatants dig deeper into their trenches in readiness for an epic battle ahead.

The current tensed political atmosphere in the state contrasts sharply with Aregbesola’s political journey from Lagos to the State of Osun Government House Osogbo.

It would be recalled that Aregbesola started first as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Lagos state (1999–2007) during the administration of former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Having served under Tinubu for eight years, he declared his intention to run as a governorship candidate of the ACN in Osun.

Though, he lost to Brig. General Olagunsoye Oyinlola (rtd) in 2007, Aregbesola emerged governor in 2011. Throughout his eight years in service, he enjoyed total support of his former boss, Asiwaju Tinubu.

So, most concerned party members are now wondering why Aregbesola has refused to extend such a level of cooperation and backing to Gov. Oyetola who served him as Chief of Staff for eight years.

However, the seeming protracted feud was first illuminated when Governor Oyetola, on 3rd of March 2020 in a policy reversal approved the cancellation of the single school uniform, reclassification of the public school system and the abolition of single-sex schools introduced in 2013 by his predecessor, Aregbesola.

The crisis was similarly fueled by wild allegations that the incumbent governor planned to demolish Oramiyan House, Aregbesola’s campaign house which the state government denied.

Also, the state government’s decision to carry out a structural integrity test on the mega schools built by the former governor to guarantee the safety of students and teachers when some of the buildings were becoming an eyesore was opposed and seen to be witch-hunting by Aregbesola’s loyalists.

To further aggravate the raging feud, members of TOP alleged that they have uncovered plot to attack and assassinate their leaders which the Oyetola’s group, Ilerioluwa again denied.

Despite the distractions, the governor has completed some of the unfinished road projects he inherited from his predecessor in office and embarked on new ones to attend to the needs of the people.

His silent but transformational strides in the socio-economic sectors have attracted commendations, awards and endorsement for a second tenure from all walks of life– students union, media organisations, labour union, professional organisations, trade union and civil servants as he pays them their full salary promptly.

However, since no one is perfect, the state administration has had its fair share of challenges including the burden of payment of pensions to the hundreds of pensioners in the state due largely to insufficient revenue.

The political storm notwithstanding, observers have advocated a speedy resolution of the issues at stake and all hands be on deck to assist in moving the party and state forward adding that cheap blackmail, pull him down syndrome as well as a campaign of calumny would not bring a solution to the Osun APC.

But investigations by this correspondent revealed that Oyetola, through faithful implementation of his party’s programmes has won the hearts of the majority of the people who genuinely feel he deserves a second term even as they advocated that the combatants should embrace dialogue.

They condemned the recent threat by TOP not to support the second term aspiration of the governor as unfortunate and of no major consequence as Oyetola fate would be decided by God and the State of Osun electorate.

According to them, the current hostilities should give way to peace and unity by members for the APC to retain the governorship seat in the state next year stressing that both Aregbesola and Oyetola loyalists should sheath their sword to allow for genuine reconciliation in the greater interest of the party.

More importantly, the two political gladiators were counseled to impress on their followers to embrace dialogue rather than fanning the embers of disunity as only a united front can deliver the State of Osun governorship seat to the ruling party next year.

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