From Bamigbola Gbolagunte
The internal crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State on Friday took another dimension as the party suspended a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Kolapo Alimi.
Alimi who is currently a Senior Legislative Assistant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, is one of the diehard loyalists of the former governor of the state and Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.
The internal crisis within the party has been on for over a year and it was not unconnected with the cold war between the state Governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola and his predecessor in office, Mr. Aregbesola. Both have been at loggerheads since the commencement of the Oyetola’s administration.
This, according to sources, led to the birth of a group, The Osun Progressives (TOP) within the Osun State chapter of the APC and members of the group that are loyalists of Aregbesola. The state coordinator of TOP, a former chairman of the APC in the state, Rev Adelowo Adebiyi had earlier been suspended by the elders caucus of the party for alleged anti-party activities.
Also Alimi was alleged to have involved in anti-party activities, hence his suspension by the leadership of the party in his Elerinsa ward 09, Erinosun in Orolu Local Government Area of the state.
His suspension was made known in a letter jointly signed by the chairman, vice-chairman and PRO of the party in the ward Adebayo Tajudeen; Ibiyemi Kayode, and Adebayo Abdulgafar respectively. The letter indicates that Alimi was suspended for “various anti-party activities”.
But the former Commissioner in his reaction described his suspension as a ruse. He said no official correspondence was forwarded to him regarding it but only read it on the social media. He noted that the suspension could not stand as he did not commit any offence to deserve such punishment, adding that the action of the party leadership in his ward contradicts the constitution of the party.