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By Yusuf Oketola
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Alhaji Fouad Oki, has said that Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the State of Osun, has been chasing shadows since he became the governor of the state over three years ago.
Oki while commenting on the crisis of the party at the national level on a private radio programme, Frank Talk in Osogbo, yesterday, said APC might lose the July 16, 2022 governorship election to opposition if care is not taken.
The former Director-General of the campaign organisation for Akinwumi Ambode and Babatunde Fashola, both former governors of Lagos State, said the APC at the national and state is in the hands of people that do not know anything about party management.
He said: “Our party in Osun will lose to the opposition, which opposition, I don’t know. You know why, because of greed. Because some people think it is our turn. The point is that the minority, no matter how powerful they are, they will not overcome the majority. So, the minority in government does not understand something that very clearly, if care is not taken, they would find their way out.
“When you are in charge, you must be magnanimous. You don’t go out chasing shadows. You must situate what is happening in Osun to Nigeria, you will get it very clearly where we have gotten our party to. Osun should be seen as a mirror of South-West politics.
“In life, particularly in politics, you must understand that you win some and lose some. You don’t create enmity. You must be careful while in position of power. When you are in power, you need three things: the grace of God, magnanimity and inclusion.
“You must have an inclusive system where those that you perceive to be your enemy from your house would want to sit down with you. That is the way to go, not by chasing shadows. For three year, the Governor (of Osun) and his cabinet have been chasing shadows.
‘You must remember as an individual, also a faithful and a believer in God, that if it’s not predestined, you would not be there. So, when you are there, the first thing to do is to be forgiving. If someone renders a little assistance to you and later hurts you, you should consider the little help more worthy than the evil. If anything, someday, one day, Rauf Aregbesola was there for him (Oyetola).
“When Aregbesola was to be picked by the progressives to take over Osun, brother Gboyega was not there. He was at Falomo in Lagos here. Even if that person truly wrong you and God has answered your request, you need to move on. You won’t begin to take everyone as your enemy. Nobody knows what will happen in Osun.
“I’m saying this because I’m a progressive and I know what we all went through for progressive to take over Osun. So, two individuals will not take us back, what’s happening in Osun is not about Osun, it is about South-West, by extensive, Nigeria. Whatever happens in Osun is a mirror of what will happen in Nigeria.
“Quote me anywhere, the present Governor of Osun is reaping where he did not sow, he was in Falomo in Lagos when the struggle was going on, I was the auditor general of the campaign that time. I was involved. I was in Osogbo at the Oroki Day, we almost got killed and I can count many other incidents like that.”