Battle for the soul of APC in Osun and collateral effect on Tinubu- Rauf Aregbesola

Not many people in Osun State, especially keen political watchers were surprised when the immediate past governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, was defeated in the July 16 governorship election. To some, Oyetola’s electoral loss had been foretold while others were of the view that it was strategically planned out by his predecessor and political rival, Rauf Aregbesola.

Following their unresolved rift, Aregbesola had insisted that Oyetola, who served as his Chief of Staff during his (Aregbesola) eight years tenure, would not taste a second term. After the Minister of Interior failed in his bid to clinch the 2022 Osun APC gubernatorial ticket for a former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti in February 2021 primary of the party, Aregbesola and his loyalists formed a splinter group known as The Osun Progressives.

Although TOP had said its aim was to save the party from the ruins its leadership allegedly subjected it to and also work towards preventing APC from suffering an electoral loss in the Osun July 16 election, the group has been accused of voting against Oyetola purportedly on the order of Aregbesola.

One of the strong loyalists of Aregbesola, Kolapo Alimi, a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, had in the build-up to the poll, defected to the People’s Democratic Party in the state. In what appeared like a confirmation of TOP’s romance with Adeleke and the PDP, some other loyalists of the minister including the erstwhile factional Chairman of Osun APC, Rasaq Salinsile attended the inauguration of Adeleke as the 6th executive governor of the state on November 27.

After what seems like a ‘mission accomplished’ through the dislodgement of Oyetola from the State Government House and the exit of the former Chairman, Adegboyega Famodun from the party, members of TOP on December 6, resolved to sheathe their sword and settle their political differences which have lingered for over three years and defiled various attempts of reconciliation.

The group, led by former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam, announced the dissolution of all factions. Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, Salaam who led other APC members, the majority of who are loyalists of Aregbesola, declared a cessation of hostilities within the APC, just as he invited other progressives in other caucuses in the party such as the Ilerioluwa group, loyal to Oyetola, to join them in the new project of reuniting members of the party.

While announcing a new name for the group, ‘Omoluabi Progressives’, Salam said, “we are hereby dissolving The Osun Progressives and the faction of the party associated with it to facilitate the unity of purpose that this time requires. For effective closure, we will have a truth and reconciliation forum within the party when fully restructured with the sole purpose of preventing any recurrence of the ugly past.