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THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State Of Osun, on Saturday, held its congress where it produced two State Chairmen, Hon. Rasaq Salinsile and Prince Gboyega Famodun.
Famodun and Salinsile had piloted the affairs of the Osun APC as Chairman and Secretary from 2014 till Friday, January 15, 2021. Famodun had been the Secretary of the party for eight years before he became the Chairman in 2014.
The APC held two different State congresses, a first of its kind in the history of progressive politics in the state.
OSUN DEFENDER had in its September 10, 2021 edition predicted that Osun APC would eventually be factionalised because of the unresolved differences in the party, among which the mode of conducting the congresses became a serious issue.
While Governor Adegboyega Oyetola led IleriOluwa faction of the APC was insisting on selecting new officers of the party through consensus, The Osun Progressives (TOP), a caucus calling for the restructuring of the party, said election should be held to elect new party officers for transparency.
From ward to local government congresses, the IleriOluwa faction of the APC had produced its own generated list of new party officers while members of the party had always been participating in elective congress to choose new leaders of the party as demanded by TOP faction.
The party officers elected from the ward and local government congresses are substantially the delegates to participate in the State Congress.
However, if the guidelines of the APC on the party’s congress is anything to go by, it is not out of place to state that the IleriOluwa faction of the party did not have eligible delegates to participate in the local government and State congresses.
Investigations by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that all the party members who were chosen through consensus by the faction during the ward congress did not purchase forms as stipulated by the guideline of the exercise.
Findings revealed that forms were procured in bulk for the candidates through a single teller with the name of depositor appearing as ‘Osun APC’. A sum of N26,892,000.00 was paid as indicated on the UBA deposit slip No. 608445.
But the guideline of the congress issued by the National Secretariat states: “All payments for the purchase of Nomination Forms shall be made directly into All Progressives Congress accredited banks. The fees shall be paid by aspirants through the accredited banks and deposit tellers shall be evidence of payment required for the collection of forms.
“All completed forms must be returned at least 3 working days before the conduct of the election. All aspirants with evidence of payments for Forms shall be entitled to the Forms and are eligible to participate in the process, subject to the provisions of these guidelines.”
On the other hand, each member of the APC who participated in the elective ward congress of the party championed by TOP procured their forms individually, giving them the legitimacy to participate in the congress.
As foretold, parallel State Congress was held in the state last Saturday with IleriOluwa faction holding its own at Osogbo Township Stadium, Osogbo while TOP held its own at Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo.
The congress was held with delegates who were produced from the ward and local government congresses of the party, who gave their nod for the next leadership of the party in the state through direct primaries.
Although the State Congress was a delegate one, party faithful in their multitude from all the 332 wards of the state thronged the venue of the congress, an open space hectare of land, opposite Ladsol Pure Water, Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo, to participate and witness the exercise.
At the end of the day, the congress produced Hon. Rasaq Salinsile from Iwo Local Government as Chairman, Alhaji Azeez Adesiji from Ilesa West Local Government as Deputy Chairman and Hon. Adelani Baderinwa from Ikirun, Ifelodun Local Government as Secretary of the party.
The event was well attended with dignitaries including former Chairman of the APC in the state, Reverend Adelowo Adebiyi, some elders of the party like Baba Oyalakun and Baba Olaoye from Irepodun Local Government, Senator Mudasiru Hussein who brought goodwill messages from some party leaders.
Others at the congress were former cabinet members in the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s administration, Hon. Sikiru Ayedun, Barr. Kolapo Alimi, Comrade Biyi Odunlade, Barr. Gbenga Akano, Engr. Kazeem Salami, Chairman, Governing Council, Adeyemi College of Education, Hon. Idiat Babalola, among other stakeholders of the party in the state.
The State Congress enjoyed the support of the immediate past Governor of Osun and Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and that of the former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salaam.
How Plan To Attack APC Members, Disrupt Congress Was Hatched At Govt House
There was an attempt to disrupt the exercise by political hoodlums allegedly hired by the Governor Adegboyega Oyetola led IleriOluwa faction of the party.
According to eyewitnesses, the hoodlums invaded the premises of the State Congress venue with about eight vehicles. Some of them had lurked around in a street behind the venue, waiting for the right time to strike from behind.
But the officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were vigilant. They directed the APC members who were behind the stage to move away to avoid being shot by the hoodlums.
The hoodlums started shooting in an attempt to disrupt the congress.
Two members of the APC, Adedapo Atobatele and Ismail Akinlade were directly shot by hoodlums.
Atobatele and Akinlade were shot in the leg and hand by the thugs allegedly led by a notorious leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Ojurin, Osogbo.
It was gathered that one Akeem Akogun from Olorunda Local Government, Ward 3 was also injured in the attack.
However, the hoodlums were repelled by the NSCDC officers.
Members of the APC remained resolute and courageous in the face of the sporadic gunshots that lasted for about 20 minutes.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the plot to disrupt the congress was hatched at the Government House, Osogbo on Friday evening.
Some government officials led by a Commissioner, who has been the chief strategist of the Oyetola’s administration, invited the leaders of about eight hoodlum gangs and cult groups in Osogbo to a meeting.
According to sources, some of the invited gang leaders were Lekan from Asiri Eniba gang, Emir, Egbatedo boys, Stone, among others.
Sources in the government house disclosed to OSUN DEFENDER that each of the gangs was mobilised with a sum of N500,000 while each attendee was also given a sum of N50,000 for transportation.
But the hoodlums were unsuccessful in their hatchet job because of the resistance from the security operatives at the venue of the congress.
It Is Time To Rebuild Osun APC – Salinsile
In his acceptance speech, the newly elected APC Chairman, Hon. Rasaq Salinsile said the time was ripe to rebuild the party in the state for posterity.
Salinsile, who is of the TOP faction, noted that in the last two years, the party had witnessed a reprehensible retrogression in party management, membership drive and political activities which the new executives will address in no distant time.
He added that the current crisis in the party which he said was orchestrated by the highest beneficiaries of struggle will be laid to rest in no distant time with the support of genuine leaders of the party who are committed to its retention in power and continued growth.
He said: “Our intervention has yielded positive results and saved the party from losing its members to another party. TOP has been able to resuscitate the consciousness of the party members and rebuild the love and confidence in the party. Without mincing words, I am happy to say that we own the party and we are the progressives.
“Dear APC members, with my election as the Chairman of APC in the State of Osun, I believe that we have all taken a promising and informed decision to redirect the party affairs and revive the progressive tendencies which have been bastardised by the opportunists.
“The current state of the APC in Osun is a reflection of poor management, which we shall begin to correct with the mandate given to me henceforth. I shall work towards the actualisation of a prosperous APC and take the party to an enviable height.
“We have made sacrifices for this party and we will not allow it to sink or collapse. We will survive this current crisis, intimidation, threat and oppression by the opportunists. We have been strong, but I still want to urge us to be stronger in the months to come. Our victory is near.”
Forgive My Shortcomings – Famodun
The IleriOluwa factional chairman of the APC, Prince Gboyega Famodun, has sought forgiveness from members of the party who he might have offended while discharging his duties as the number one party man in Osun.
Famodun who spoke after his emergence at the congress held at the Osogbo Township Stadium, said: “I am craving for forgiveness from those whom I might have knowingly or unknowingly offended while performing my legitimate duties as the state chairman of our party.
“As an offence against an individual may be symbiotic, I am also categorically stating here that in the spirit of genuine reconciliation, I have resolved to give an unconstitutional forgiveness to anyone who might have similarly offended me during the course of our political association.
“It is on this basis that I am extending an olive branch to the members of our political family who are disenchanted to bury the hatchet in order to collectively work for the re-election of Governor Gboyega Oyetola during the next year’s governorship election.
“Let us join hands together and perform our usual political feat of installing the continuity of the ruling government. The time is not on our side. Let us work for the perpetuation of our government in Osun State through all known legitimate means.”
Chairman, Secretary Positions Causes Stir In IleriOluwa Faction
Until the day of the State Congress, Alhaji Debo Badru, a stalwart of the APC in Iwo, had thought he would emerge the Secretary of the APC in the consensus arrangement of the IleriOluwa faction.
But Badru, according to sources, was dropped because of ‘lack of trust’, according to sources in the IleriOluwa camp.
The sources informed OSUN DEFENDER that he was dropped because the Governor and some of his kitchen cabinet members did not trust him, due to his past relationship with Aregbesola.
Badru was replaced with Alhaji Kamorudeen Alao, who is also the APC Chairman of Iwo Local Government.
Also, the chairmanship position generated controversies within the IleriOluwa faction as a group wanted the Governor to drop Famodun in favour of Alhaji Tajudeen Lawal from Ile-Ife.
The group reportedly canvassed for Lawal till the eve of the congress when it was clear that Governor Oyetola was not ready to change his mind.
The dust generated by the development was however quenched with the appointment of Badru and a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the state, Mr. Sunday Akere as Special Advisers on Political Matters to the Governor on Monday.
Gunshot Victims Recount Ordeal, Name Assailants
Two victims of the Saturday attack, Mrs. Adedolapo Atobatele and Ismail Akinlade have narrated how they were shot by some hoodlums who attempted to disrupt the congress.
Atobatele is an APC member from Ward 7, Olorunda Local Government while Akinlade, is also a member of the party and Oranmiyan Worldwide.
According to Atobatele, the hoodlums came to the venue of the congress two hours after the programme had started.
She said: “I was outside the venue of the State Congress of our party at Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo, having discussions with some of my people and suddenly, we started hearing gunshots. The Security operatives and some of our party leaders told us to go inside the venue.
“I saw four vehicles coming from the Olaiya side to the venue. The vehicles were led by a black SUV. On getting to the congress venue, they started shooting sporadically into the crowd. I was shot in the leg where I was standing. The person that shot me was sitting inside the black SUV.
“There was a particular guy I know who was sitting at the back seat of the SUV. He is popularly known as Asiri Eniba, with him there was Ojasope and one guy called Lekan. He was standing at the door of the SUV.
“The second person that was shot among us was going towards the vehicle to prevent them from coming into the crowd. I was able to see those inside the black SUV because he was able to stop their vehicles from entering the venue.
“The SUV is a new one. They turned back when they saw that the guy was coming towards them with the civil defence officers. I don’t know maybe I was one of the targets because I was directly shot. It was Asiri that fired the shot at me. I saw him.”
However, some members of the APC who attended the IleriOluwa faction of the APC congress at Stadium, Osogbo, told OSUN DEFENDER that Mr. Kazeem Oyewale known as Asiri Eniba was at the programme, so he could not have come to attack the APC members at Ogo-Oluwa.
But Atobatele insisted that she saw Oyewale and one Ojasope inside the SUV during the attack on them.
“Immediately I was shot, people at the congress came to my rescue and gave me first aid. During that process, a particular guy who was hooded came from nowhere and tried to force me into a vehicle in an attempt to take me away. My people did not know him. He eventually ran away because they were about to lynch him.
Narrating his account, the second victim, Ismail Akinlade, said: “I was sitting at the entrance of the congress venue. Suddenly, I heard a gunshot. I wanted to leave where I was sitting but some of my people told me to relax. I was forced to leave that place to see what was going on.
“When I got to the main road, the thugs started firing gunshots at me from a black SUV. I was moving closer to the vehicle. My aim at that point was to prevent them from entering the venue of the congress.
“As I moved closer to the SUV, I saw Asiri Eniba, Lekan, his personal Assistant and Ojasope inside the vehicle. But they turned back when I continued moving closer to them. I was later shot at my hand. The person that shot me was Asiri Eniba. He shot me several times. I was looking at him from the wheel screen.
“If I did not prevent them from entering the venue of the congress, we would have had casualties more than that. I don’t know why they came to attack us. They were conducting their congress at Stadium and we were having our own at Ogo-Oluwa.
“This is not the first time the Governor’s group will launch an attack on us. They have been persecuting our members for reasons best known to them.
“My advice for other members of the party who do not belong to the Governor’s group is to always be very careful and vigilant because the Governor does not want us. And if we leave him to continue directing the party the way he wants, the party may go into disarray. The party belongs to us and we will not open our eyes and let the party sink.
Ojasope, Asiri Deny Involvement In Attack
However, the two prominent people who were accused of leading the brutal attack on the APC members (TOP faction) at the congress ground denied their involvement in it.
In an interview with OSUN DEFENDER, Alhaji Akeem Ojasope, said: “I don’t know anything about the attack. I am a member of the APC and I cannot contribute to anything that will further divide the party.
“Anybody that claims that I was involved in the attack should come out with evidence. I was at the Stadium where another State Congress was being held. I am a party man, what do I want to gain from sponsoring an attack on my people?
In his reaction, Akeem Oyewale known as Asiri Eniba said: “I don’t know anything about the attack.”
Oyewale abruptly ended the call and never called back as promised.
Parallel Congresses, A Rejection of Imposition, Tyranny In APC – Social Analyst
A social analyst, Barr. Shenge Rahman has described the parallel congresses held by APC members in Osun and other parts of the country as an indictment on the party’s national secretariat.
“Immediately after the ward congresses, one expected the National Secretariat of the APC to look at reality and sincerely address the grievances that were expressed by the party members”, he said.
According to Rahman, the parallel congresses in the State of Osun specifically is a rejection of imposition and tyranny which the national secretariat of the party should have addressed before now.
Rahman in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday said: “The parallel congresses is a pointer to the fact that something is amiss in the state chapter of the APC. Where people are not allowed to express themselves, where internal democracy is not allowed, you cannot but get the kind of outcome we are having.
“If people have been allowed to contest for positions, if opinions and tendencies are allowed to contest in a free, fair and democratic manner, there won’t be the need for parallel congresses.
“After people were elected into power, they would simply become gods and all others must bow before them. They will want to control everything and silence people. They would not want to allow internal democracy in the party again.
“The fact that we are having a regular disagreement on how the affairs of the party are being run in both APC and the PDP speaks a lot about peoples consciousness.”