With the look of things within the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, it is obvious that both camps of Governor Gboyega Oyetola and that of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola are set for parallel state congresses on Saturday, InsightMedia has gathered.
According to what this medium gathered, barring last minute changes, the IleriOluwa group loyal to Oyetola would be having its congress at Osogbo City Stadium while The Osun Progressives, the group loyal to Aregbesola, the interior minister, will be making use of the Technical College Osogbo.
Alhaji Razaq Saliensile, the present state secretary of the party, is being pushed for the oidt of state chairmanship of the party. Salinsile is one of the arrow heads of The Osun Progressives (TOP). While the IleriOluwa group loyal to the Governor and leader of the party in the state – Mr Gboyega Oyetola is rooting for re-election of Prince Gboyega Famodun the incumbent Chairman.
The issues
Even though the two leaders have not publicly admitted that there is a crisis between them, actions and utterances of their followers are pointers to escalating feud between the Former Governor and his then Chief of Staff.
The cold war escalated in August when the party held its ward and congresses. However, despite all the protests and petitions against Hon.Gbenga Elegbeleye led committee and the process of electing the ward executives by TOP members, the IleriOluwa caucus had its way as only the concensus candidates were inaugurated and recognized by the national working committee party.
The same fate befell the Aregbesola factions during the local government Congress last month, as consensus candidates were also recognized by Elegbeleye committee.
It’s also on record that the group, having felt cheated by the process, has at different times threatened parallel party administration in all local governments. A pointer to this is a parallel office opened at Ejigbo Local government where the former speaker of the state assembly Hon. Najeem Salam hails from.
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Sources familiar with the the development however, said the police has sealed up the factional secretariat.
Public Relations Officer of Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola promised to get back to our correspondent when contacted. The promise she had not fulfilled as at the time of filing this report.
The State Congress
During the weekly meeting on Thursday, The Osun Progressives re-avowed its commitment to elect parallel EXCOS during the Saturday State Congress.
Chairman of TOP, Reverend Adelowo Adebiyi urged the members and delegates to the state Congress to elect credible person who will set the interest of all.
Adebiyi in a statement said “it is only the election of new set of focused and results -oriented leaders to compliment those they have elected at wards and local level that could take the APC back from part of ineptitude, it has been driven to recent times”.
Sources within the group confirmed to InsightMedia that the ward and local EXCOS elected by the group would be sworn in earlier on Saturday before the commencement of the congress. They are to form the delegates that will elect State EXCOS.
It was also gathered that, Salinsile and others have obtained their forms from the national headquarters of the party as the group did during the ward and local Congresses.
The source said “no going back on it. Salinsile will become our state the party chairman tomorrow. He and other EXCOS-to-be have obtained forms and they will be elected at our congress at the playing ground of Technical College in Osogbo tomorrow”.
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When asked if Aregbesola will be in Osun on Saturday as he was nowhere to be found during the ward and local government congresses, the source simply said “Ogbeni is traveling today. He will not be around to be part of tomorrow’s Congress”.
At the IleriOluwa camp, all is set to reelect Prince Gboyega Famodun. Sources within the group said the they are still harmonizing the list of those that will be the consensus candidates.
As at the time of finding this report, the state congress committee from Abuja has not arrived Osogbo. They are expected later in the evening and will be meeting with relevant stakeholders immediately.
