Osun APC crisis, let’s opt for true reconciliation and restructuring of the party.

by Adabanija Kamorudeen

Have you ever seen someone or any living thing that stayed behind a wall longer than Lizard 🦎 except a victim of collapsed wall/building?

Bí abátúnrí enití ópé l’éyìn Ògiri ju Omo oní’lé lo, áájásíwípé Ìgànnán l’ówópa onít’òhún.

I am a born Progressive regardless of whichever angle you may be watching or assessing me. The bitter truth is I have never in my life belong to any other political party aside the ones tagged ‘Progressives”
From UPN though I was young then, to AD, to AC, to ACN and now APC.

Money influence has never been my driving force since I joined active politics over three decades ago. I always follow my heart and with total commitment to the Progressive course.
In the 90s, I was the coordinator for the late senator Isiaika Adeleke when he contested for governorship in 1991 in my ward. I was the same person that coordinated for the late business moguls MKO Abiola during the annualed June 12th presidential election.

There are a lot of political leaders in my local government here in Egbedore who are still much alive and active in politics who can bear me witness of all these.

Despite all the struggles for late senator Isiaika Adeleke, I did not gain anything personal under his 22months administration and I never felt bad about it because good governance, recognition and senses of belonging are my keys target, and I was able to enjoyed all these under the administration of the first executive governor of Osun state in person of late Serubawon Adeleke.

This was in the fourth republic and before advent of fifth republic in 1998/99, I have already left Osun for Kaduna and even at Kaduna, I tried to identified with the progressive party which was AD and I belong until I left Kaduna and retuned back home in 1990 due to sickness which nearly claim my life then but Alhamdulilahi, I survived it and eventually joined forces with people of like minds to be part of Social Democratic party (SDP) under which late senator Alhaji Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke contested and won Osun governorship.

To cut my story short, since I have being in active politics over three decades ago, I have never came across a political leader like our former governor Oyetola, he was a disaster to the Progressive in Osun and this is the statement of fact. Some people will say it was because I lobbyed for appointment under him and I did get it that is why I have being condemning him. No, this is far from true.

If Oyetola had ran the government and party well, APC wouldn’t have lost governorship election and even the subsequent elections, but because he is not a good manager of men and good politician and to worsen the situations, he surrounded himself with sycophants and paperweights politicians.

How could a reasonable sitting governor wages needless political battle with his successor who handed over power to you from the same party? And if you must do it at all, at least with some kind of diplomacy.

This is the bitter truth and the genesis of Osun APC failure.
At the beginning of this, I tried to let them realize that they will fail if they should continue the needless political wranglings but, all my advices were ignored and at a point, I was tagged anti Oyetola and pro Aregbesola.

Yes, indeed I am a Raufist and I supported Oyetola because of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in 2018 and I never regret followed Rauf Aregbesola’s instructions in 2018 until immediately after Óyetola assumed the mantle of leadership in Osun and started dividing the party along group’s lines.

Here is a person that wasn’t known even in his local government in Boripe before he was imposed on Rauf Aregbesola as Chief of staff immediately Rauf was swore in in November 27th 2010, and he was in that position for good eight years without been able to lunch himself in Osun political settings until few months to the end of tenure of Rauf Aregbesola in 2018 before order came from above again that he was going to succeed Rauf Aregbesola, the person who was not given prior notice or informed before, if it were to be in a saner clime. At least, if Ogbeni had been informed at least a year before, the problems our party encountered in 2018 would have been averted because there would have been enough times to mend fence.

The circumstances that led to how Oyetola became governor in 2018 should be enough reason for him to unite the party because a lot of people who felt cheated and aggrieved left the party while some remains in the party but, not committed to the success of the party, but unfortunately for him “Ìsáàsùn tíkòmòn wípé òhun yíój’ata, ìgbàtí ódé Orí Inán tán, l’óbá nse Àròsìn” the person that was supposed to unite the party turned around to become the one that introduced politics of segregation in the party and created dichotomy where some members of the party were tagged anti IleriOluwa and pro Aregbesola.

It gotten to a stage where we have to be taking up harms against ourselves in the same party. Because Oyetola sidelined Rauf Aregbesola’s loyalists, we have to gather ourselves together under one umbrella called (The Osun Progressive) TOP and started holding our meetings at ORANMIYAN house Osogbo in preparations for party’s congress which we were hopeful if was allowed to go on smoothly, some of our group members would emerge as party excos but, Oyetola did not allow internal democracy to flourish and he started sending thugs to attack us. Many of our group members were wounded, arrested and sent to prison in the same party.

There was an article I wrote sometimes around 2020 where I said, if Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not interested in the crisis rocking the party, he should exercise his power as the National leader and call both Rauf Aregbesola and Gboyega Oyetola and settle the matter for them before the party will hit the rock. But who will listen to someone like me😢

B’ínán kòbá l’áwo, kòlè jó kojá Òkè Odò.

My findings finally revealed it is not Oyetola that is fighting Rauf Aregbesola but Asiwaju is the person. It is only that Oyetola failed to apply diplomacy and wisdom like governor Babajide Olushola Sanwoolu of Lagos state.

Whatever may be the reason for Asiwaju to be fighting his political son of more than three decades, only God knows all that is hidden.
A lot of people blamed Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for the February 14th Ijebujesha stakeholders meeting where Ogbeni first openly expressed his mind against his political leader because they don’t look before they lip.
Yoruba will say Ajá 🐕 t’ónríni yò’rù t’óbá rí’ni t’óngbó oyekí oní Làákàyè fura ni.

Apart from this episode, can anyone among those blaming Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola point to where Ogbeni ever look in to Asiwaju’s face or ever disrespect him like that before?
They started twisting his remarks to different meanings to suit their narratives.
Whatever meaning they may aduce to Ogbeni’s words at Ijebujesha, the truth is he expressed his mind and let the whole world knows all he has been enduring under his political leader and it was after this that some influencial people including traditional rulers in Yoruba land waded in to the matter and what should be our concerns is, are all efforts to reconcile Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his political leader yielding positive results? If No, why and who is the one among them proving stubborn?
We all know and aware of the efforts put in place by the late Alaafin of Oyo Oba Olayiwola Lamidi Atanda and his Imperial Majesty Ooni Ogunwusi Ojaja including some Ulamas both within south west states and from far North.
The question that should be agitating our minds is, why has it been very difficult for these powerful individuals to settle and reconcile these leaders? Maybe there is more to this matter than meet the ordinary eyes.

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