Osun APC faction blames Oyetola, party chairman for guber loss

Aregbesola’s loyalists deny voting for Adeleke

A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State loyal to the Minister of Interior and former governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola, has refuted a report that aggrieved members of the party voted against Governor Gboyega Oyetola in the July 16 governorship election.

Rather, the faction said that Oyetola and state chairman of the party, Gboyega Famodun, cheaply delivered victory to the Peoples Democratic Party.

The factional chairman of the party, Rasaq Salinsile, while addressing a press conference in Osogbo, yesterday, said Oyetola and Famodun’s insensitivity and impunity over party issues led to the total collapse of the APC’s winning structures and eventual loss of the governorship election.

Salinsile accused Oyetola and Famodun of deliberately weakening the Osun APC by wishing away ‘dog-handlers’ and grassroots mobilisers who have been delivering a victory for the party since 2007.

He urged the national secretariat of the party to immediately restructure Osun APC, saying that the only way to bring back the winning strength of the party is to re-organise it before the 2023 general elections.

The former chief of staff to the governor said it was unfortunate that both Famodun and Oyetola wanted to dislodge genuine progressives in the party with paperweight politicians who could not win in their units, wards and local councils.

He absolved members of The Osun Progressives from the allegations that they worked against APC and mobilised voters for the governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke, adding that they voted for Oyetola.

He said that Famodun’s inability to manage the party was responsible for APC’s electoral misfortune.

Meanwhile, Salinsile has also denied a report that the faction was plotting against the presidential candidate of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.