The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said miscreants and killers are now being admitted as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He spoke after revalidating his APC membership at Ifofin, Ward 8, Ilesa East Local Government Area of the state.
Senator Omisore joins APC in Osun
Aregbesola said while the party should not turn down anyone who wishes to join it, there is need to ensure only those who would work for its good should be allowed into it.
He said: “Killers have joined our party and the law guiding our party doesn’t say we can’t admit them when a law court has not convicted them. You know the killers or you don’t know them?
“You know miscreants or you don’t know miscreants? If we will be in the same party, we will not accept anything that will denigrate Bola Ige. He was our father. In this area, Bola Ige was our father.
“Are you happy that Bola Ige was killed? I am a son to the late Bola Ige. Whoever denigrates Bola Ige is our enemy. Whoever wants to use Bola Ige’s tomb to climb to a higher height would not achieve his aim. When we want to aspire for a position here, your name and antecedent will determine how you will be treated.”
Although he did not mention any name, there are strong indications that he had Iyiola Omisore, a former deputy governor of Osun, in mind when he made the comment.
Omisore, who ran against Aregbesola under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014, has been blamed for the death of Bola Ige, an allegation he has denied consistently.
Earlier in the month, Omisore publicly announced that he had joined the APC.
Gboyega Oyetola, incumbent governor of Osun, is believed to have facilitated Omisore’s defection as he played a key role in the emergence of Oyetola.
In 2016, when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the Osun governorship election inconclusive and fixed a rerun in Omisore’s stronghold, the leadership of the APC entered into a deal with Omisore and Oyetola was elected.