Thousands of card-carrying carrying members of the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are expected to, on Saturday, partake in a direct primary to pick the governorship candidate of the party for the July poll. In seeking a second term ticket, tomorrow’s titanic contest, incumbent governor Oyetola has to contend with a former secretary to the state government, Honourable Moshood Adeoti and a former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Representatives, Honourable Yusuf Lasun.
The situation is tense in the party, especially because of the open altercations among the loyalists of the leading contestants for the ticket. The loyalists are grouped under separate caucuses: Ileri Oluwa,which is the camp loyal to Governor Oyetola under the chairmanship of Prince Gboyega Famoodu and the supporters of Aregbesola under the aegis of The Osun Progressives (TOP), with Alhaji Rasak Salinsile as its chairman. The candidate of the TOP is the immediate past Sectary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti. The APC national headquarters is expected to send a team to supervise the primary, with Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRasaq AbduRahman reported to have been appointed to lead the team.
Preparation
The APC leadership set the stage for tomorrow’s exercise after screening the aspirants in Abuja. Prior the primary, three aspirants obtained nomination form at N20 million and the expression of interest form for N2.5million.
Savouring the euphoria of his success at the screening exercise, Oyetola had, during his campaign for re-election, said his performance in office thus far was enough to ensure his electoral victory at the APC primary and the governorship poll on July 16. “Let me say this, my performance in office in all areas of endeavour, as I speak today, is enough for me to win the party’s primary and the state’s governorship election. By every standard, we have done so well within the last three and half years, and I have been able to justify the confidence reposed in me by the people. I have been very much involved in the party; I’m not a novice when it comes to the issue of party administration,” he said. Oyetola said he did not take the people for granted because of his enviable record of achievement hence his visit to the 34 local government areas to campaign on why he should be re-elected. “I have been going around to ask for the support of members of the party in all the local government areas of the state, so I am prepared,” Oyetola said.
However, Adeoti was quoted after screening as saying that Oyetola was installed by Tinubu in 2018 and that he (Adeoti) defected from the APC in 2018 to contest on the ticket of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) because the primary of the APC was abruptly derailed. “We had prepared between 75-80 percent for the primary before it was scuttled at the eleventh hour. Ekiti State primary was conducted based on direct but, when it came to Osun, they changed it to indirect on the instruction of the emperor who happens to be the leader of the party,” Adeoti said. This time, the ex-SSG promised to remain in the APC even if Oyetola succeeds in picking a second term ticket.
There has been much display of bravado by the loyalists of the key political gladiators and power brokers in the run-up to the primary.
In the last 72 hours, for instance, the different camps have engaged in a verbal war, hurling missiles at perceived adversaries, surrogates and their principals. The situation has been characterised by the open declaration of war against a political godfather, with a threat to pay him back in his coin as exemplified in how the second term bid of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was torpedoed in 2019 by a high wired political intrigues in Lagos APC.
The hot verbal assault emanated from the camp of the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who is the strong pillar behind the candidature of Moshood Adeoti.
The relationship between APC national leader, Bola Tinubu and Aregbesola is that of a political godfather and godson. While the former was governor in Lagos State, Aregbesola was more than an alter ego of Tinubu. Aregbeosola held forth as the Commissioner for Works, one of the most strategic ministries in government. He rose on the crest of the undisputable power brokers in Lagos to cruise to the corridors of power in Osun. From there, his meteoric rise in the political space has been legendary, considering the status of his contemporaries especially those that enjoyed similar privileges in Lagos politics. But their relationship has gone awry and frosty resulting in virulent verbal assaults. Perhaps, the bitterness has been exacerbated by the issue of blood being thicker than water. Oyetola is a cousin of Tinubu. So, the insinuation is that the former governor is circumspect to act as a peacemaker, as his action might be misconstrued and wrongly interpreted by the camp of Aregbesola.
It is not known to what extent this will be brought to bear at the primary as it demands a level of sophistication from the prospective voters.
There is also the factor of performance rating of the former administration vis-a-vis the sitting government in the state. The state has been able to manage the inherited debt, paid salary arrears, paid workers salaries regularly, blocked leakages, done fact-checks on contract sum and global practices and ensured due process in governance.
Campaign
As the tempo of horse-trading for the primaries peaked, Lasun, who is seeking to pick the APC ticket for the second time, took a swipe at the critics of Aregbesola, describing them as wicked and selfish. Yusuf spoke on a private FM station in Osogbo, claiming the former governor sacrificed a lot to get the state back for the progressive party, so he should not be excluded from the politics of the state. “In the quest of claiming Osun for progressive, Rauf Aregbesola did very well; he led from the front; he fought the battle together since November 2004 to 2010 when we were declared the winner. That man is a fantastic human being, whether we are on the same page or not, he fought me, we had our differences and I never blamed him, he did so well.Whoever declared Aregbesola persona non gratia is selfish, self-centred and wicked. We knew what we went through before we could get Osun state to the progressive fold, it was horrible”, he said.
An analyst, Adebayo Adekunle warned the warring groups to put their house in order in the interest of the APC before the election. But the appeal has not been embraced as the different camps indulged in accusations and counter-accusations, especially over the issues surrounding the violence witnessed on Monday when Aregbesola was in Osogbo. The pioneer president-general of the Aregbesola campaign Oranmiyan Group Worldwide Foundation and current chieftain of the ruling APC in the state, Prince Felix Awofisayo expressed serious concern over the incident and called for sanity and order. He wondered what those behind the violent incident stand to gain by fomenting crisis in the state, instead of bequeathing a befitting legacy to the state. The APC leader called on the people to remain calm and go about their legitimate business as the authorities had taken control of the situation.
Support base
There has been show of support for the governor across the state, evident during his tour of the local government areas. Traditional rulers, traders, artisans, well-meaning individuals and groups have expressed confidence in his style of leadership and the difference his administration has made in the last three years. For example, traditional rulers said they were confident that Oyetola would be re-elected on July 16 to consolidate on the gains of his administration. They said this during the ‘Strategic Engagement Tour’ to Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency. Speaking in his palace in Obokun town, Oba Festus Awogboro, the Alademure of Obokun, urged Oyetola not to allow political fraudsters and power-hungry individuals to deter him from taking the state to the Promised Land. “You were here in 2018 to seek our support, and we thank God that you didn’t disappoint us. You have matched up with our expectations in all ramifications. We thank you for all you have done to keep the state safe and ensure the smooth sailing of the ship of the state. We are not ingrates. We are grateful to you. We thank you for all you are doing, particularly your keen interest and passion for our welfare and well-being. Indeed, your administration is taking good care of us,” he said. Also speaking, Elegboro of Ijebu-Jesa, Oba Moses Agunsoye, commended the governor for his prompt response to issues. He said: “We will not disappoint you because you didn’t disappoint us. You have done well. You are a listening governor. There has been a remarkable improvement in all sectors of the economy, particularly in the area of security in our domains.”
