Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has appealed to the National Reconciliation Committee to disregard whatever was contained in the petitions forwarded to it by the dissenting members of the party called The Osun Progressives, TOP.
The TOP’s members are loyalists of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
The Ilerioluwa faction of the APC (Oyetola’s faction), who described TOP’s requests as self-serving, misleading, sarcastic, spurious and baseless, called on the committee to dismiss it in its entirety as it was meant to clandestinely destroy the corporate image of the party in the state.
The Ilerioluwa faction’s position was made known when the committee met with the members and patron of the group at the Government House, Osogbo.
Responding to some of the issues raised and prayers made by TOP members to the committee, the Secretary, Ilerioluwa Faction’s Congress Committee, Mr Sunday Akere, claimed the allegation of alienation of party leaders was false and way off from the truth, saying the present leadership structure was put in place by Aregbesola and inherited by Governor Oyetola until few additions made just about a few months ago.
On the allegation that the present governor hinged most of its policies implementation and execution on the platform that ushered his emergence, Ilerioluwa, Akere noted that the emergence of Ilerioluwa was more or less like the emergence of Oranmiyan created by the immediate past governor that ushered him to power, adding that since Oyetola was elected Governor, the party had taken the front burner in all decisions making and implementation.
Akere noted that TOP was formed purposefully by those that believed in an “Audio” promise given them without the knowledge and consent of the Governor to be appointed in the government, saying the allegation of ‘sit-tight syndrome’ was not correct because the Ilerioluwa APC in adopting consensus as suggested, ensured that those that were not active or doing well in positions they were holding were replaced.
According to him, in the preparation for the just- concluded congresses, the governor and some party leaders carried everybody along and acted in conformity with the party’s guidelines and resolutions reached at all levels as the elections went smoothly in all the wards, local governments and state levels.
He called on the committee to ask the petitioners to produce those that screened their purported aspirants, conducted their purported congresses, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission that supervised their congresses, the security agencies present at the venue they claimed they used among others, as demanded by electoral guidelines.
Akere noted that the Governor has no hands in the decision of the Appeal Committee contrary to TOP’s speculations, saying their decisions were based on facts presented before them.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, noted that their presence at the Government House was part of efforts to ensure a fair hearing, equity and justice as it would serve as a forum for the party’s leadership to respond to and defend some of the allegations raised and petitions filed before it.
“You are aware that APC like any human endeavours has issues that are affecting the free flow of the affairs of the party, hence the inauguration of the Committee to restore peace. It is natural for human beings to have conflicts, but what is important is to resolve them.
“We are here to work for the unity, harmony and love within and among the party loyalists.
“When we came yesterday, our port of call was to visit Mr Governor to declare that we are at his domain.
“We have started to take requests, and we felt it was necessary to hear from you too. That is why we are here.
“We have served the copies of the petitions to the Governor. We expect to have some responses. Nothing is expected to be covered,” he added.
In his remarks, the Governor of Osun commended the committee for taking the bull by the horns, just as he expressed confidence in its ability to carry out the task with fairness and equity.
He said the large turnout of the party leaders was an indication that his administration was open to all and that power resides in the party.
