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From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Osogbo
The race for the soul of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State and the superiority battle between the state Governor, Mr Gboyega Oyetola and his predecessor in office, Mr Rauf Aregbesola ended last Saturday. It is no more news that Governor Oyetola, defeated Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the governorship aspirant of the party sponsored by Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior.
Aregbesola had been at loggerheads with Oyetola since the emergence of the governor in November, 2018 and both power brokers in Osun have been keeping mute on the main cause of their disagreement.
Prior to the primary, the two gladiators had laid claim to the leadership of the party in the state but Oyetola was certainly more recognized by the national secretariat than Aregbesola. The leadership of the party had made attempts to settle the rift between the two erstwhile friends but to no avail. Also former Governor of Osun State and pioneer chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande had made efforts to settle the differences but he did not record any success.
However, with the outcome of the governorship primary election won by Governor Oyetola, the dice is cast in the state chapter of APC and all indications have shown that the governor is in control of the party in the state.
Oyetola who contested against Aregbesola’s anointed aspirant, Alhaji Adeoti, a former Secretary to the State Government and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuf has proven to be the one in control of the structure of the party.
Few days to the election, Aregbesola had boasted that his candidate would win the primary election. The former governor who led a street show across major roads in the state to solicit support for Adeoti claimed to be in control of the party. At a rally held in Ijebujesa, headquarters of Oriade Local Government Area of the state, the Minister publicly announced his support for Adeoti and urged the members of the party to vote for him.
Specifically, he declared that Oyetola would not fly the APC ticket for lack of performance, liking the current political situation in the state to Lagos State where the former Governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode was voted out at the party’s primary election and Mr Babajide Sanwoolu elected.
Aregbesola in continuation of his campaign against Oyetola visited all the nine federal constituencies in the state in the space of one week and in all the places visited, he condemned Governor Oyetola and called on the APC members to vote for Adeoti.
However, things went the other way as Governor Oyetola emerged the winner of the primary election with a wide margin, a situation which showed that many members of the party preferred him to either Adeoti or Yusuf.
Oyetola polled 222,169 votes to defeat the duo of Mr. Adeoti who polled 12,921 votes to come a distant second while Lasun polled 460 votes to come third.
However, political analysts in the state observed that the power of incumbency worked in favour of Oyetola during the primary election as many members of the party who took part in the election are appointees of the current APC administration at either the local government or state government level.
The party had adopted direct primary system to elect its flag bearer and that sources observed, worked in favour of Oyetola as all members of the caretaker management committees in the Local Government Areas across the state worked for the governor by mobilizing their supporters at all levels.
It was also rumoured that some political office holders were used as electoral officers in some wards, though this was denied by the leadership of the party in the state.
Few days to the primary election, members of the electoral committee led by the Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasak had arrived the state and the committee met with all the three aspirants at the party secretariat where all the stakeholders agreed on the electoral guidelines for the election.
Although there are two persons who claimed to be Chairman of the party in the state, Prince Gboyega Famodun who is the leader of Oyetola’s faction of the party was reportedly given recognition at the meeting, while Rasaq Saleinsile who is the factional chairman of Aregbesola’s group was not recognized.
A group within the party known as The Osun Progressives (TOP) loyal to Aregbesola produced the two aspirants that contested against Oyetola and it was reliably gathered that the group had initially conducted a shadow election which was won by former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Najeem Salam but he was prevailed upon to give up his ambition.
The group had earlier presented Adeoti, Yusuf and Salam as its governorship aspirants but Najeem was reportedly pleaded with, while Yusuf was also discouraged from participating in the primary election because he hails from Osun Central senatorial district where the incumbent governor also comes from.
There has been serious clamour that the next governor of the state should come from Osun West senatorial district because it has not produced one for a very long time, hence the decision of the Aregbesola’s faction to present Adeoti who hails from Iwo in Osun West senatorial district.
But with the emergence of Oyetola who is from Iragbiji headquarters of Boripe Local Government Area in Osun Central, it is certain that the APC will present a candidate from Osun Central for the governorship election come July this year.
While the Aregbesola’s faction condemned the outcome of the election which it said was fraught with alleged irregularities, the governor has appealed to all party members to close ranks, eschew bitterness and join hands with him.
The governor extended hands of fellowship to the co-contenders just as he urged members of the APC to close ranks and eschew bitterness in all forms saying the time has come for all the aggrieved members to have a rethink and join hands with him to further strengthen the party and deliver outstanding results at the gubernatorial poll.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to running all inclusive, equitable and participatory governance in the state.
He described his victory as a restatement of people’s confidence in his Development Agenda which “hope delivered in 2018 and performance sealed in 2022”.
Governor Oyetola said: “On this historic occasion of the peaceful conclusion of the primary election and my emergence as the candidate of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun, I give glory to Almighty God for making it possible.
“Once again, our great party has spoken as a beacon of democracy and as a strong and united channel of development.
“We have jointly made a resolve to continue to redefine governance and re-entrench sustainable democracy. Today’s victory is made possible by the members of our great party who gave us another opportunity to face the people of Osun to seek re-election. The outcome of this primary election is victory for our party and members who have spoken loudly through their votes.
“It is victory for our people who trooped out in large number during our strategic tour of the state to inform them of our intention to seek a second term.
“With this primary election now concluded, I invite us all to rededicate ourselves and the party to delivering an overwhelming victory at the gubernatorial polls holding on Saturday, 16th July, 2022.
“For me, we are all winners. I, therefore, extend my hand of fellowship to the other two aspirants to join me as we prepare for the July election. We are all brothers. Let’s join hands to build the Osun of our dream.
“Let us close ranks and eschew bitterness in whatever form. Therefore, may I use this opportunity to also ask all our aggrieved members to have a rethink and join hands with us to further strengthen our party and deliver outstanding results at the gubernatorial poll.
“As we commence the electioneering campaigns, I urge all contestants across party lines to perform this exercise with utmost decency and not jeopardize the peace and tranquility our state is noted for. This is the least our people deserve and the beauty democracy requires,” he stressed.
But the Aregbesola’s faction appears not satisfied with the outcome of the exercise as it alleged that the election that produced Oyetola as the party’s candidate was marred by alleged irregularities.
Reacting, the Publicity Secretary of the faction, Mr Abiodun Agboola alleged that the election was marred by series of irregularities by those loyal to Oyetola.
Agboola said: “we strongly condemned the conduct of the primary election because it is nothing but a sham with a fraudulent process to favour Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
“Verified information from the agents of Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, our governorship aspirant, has it that there was no record and result sheets in any of the 332 wards of the state.
“Also, there were no proper accreditation in majority of the ward collation centres where voting was taking place. The accreditation done in some places were skewed in favour of Governor Gboyega Oyetola as members of the group were allowed to pass through accreditation process without much ado.
“Names of sizeable number of members of the APC who wanted to vote for Adeoti were missing in the register of the party. This we had envisaged by calling for the display of party register before the conduct of the primary.
“We also need to inform the general public that appointees of Governor Oyetola were used as Collation Officers, which made the rigging plan of Oyetola an easy task. This we strongly condemned yesterday at the stakeholders meeting with the Primary Committee,” he added.
Also, a close associate of Aregbesola and former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Kolapo Alimi alleged that representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were not present in many of the polling centres.
Besides, he alleged that the results of the election were not made available for agents of Adeoti and Lasun in all the polling centres in his home town of Erin-Osun in Irepodun Local Government Area, just as he alleged that election did not take place in some parts of the state.
He said it was wrong for officials of the Oyetola’s government to be used as electoral officers for an election being contested by their principal, saying that his faction will challenge the outcome of the election in court.
But the Special Adviser to Governor Oyetola on Political matters, Sunday Akere denied the allegations, saying that accreditation and voting took place in all the polling centres in the state in accordance with the electoral guidelines and constitution of the party.
He said members of the party voted for Oyetola overwhelmingly because of his sterling performances since he assumed office believing that he can win the general election.
Akere who was Commissioner for Information and Strategy during Aregbesola’s first term in office chastised the opponents of Governor Oyetola, stressing that he merits his victory at the polls based on his outstanding qualities and the love members of the party have for him.
However, the Minister of Interior, Mr Aregbesola in a statement released by his Media Assistant, Sola Fasure urged his supporters to remain calm and law abiding as a team of lawyers would study the process that led to the emergence of Oyetola and advised accordingly.
The Minister did not mention his next line of action but called on his supporters to maintain peace and orderliness in the time being and urged them not to lose focus.
