The Osun Progressives (TOP), a caucus of the State of Osun Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has reacted to a video circulating on social media by the members of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola-led IleriOluwa faction of the party, in which the State Chairman of the embattled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Sunday Bisi, said the party was a friend to TOP.
In the video, the PDP Chairman said, “My younger brother, IBK showed me something where APC members who belonged to Oyetola camp posted on facebook that TOP is PDP, PDP is TOP. May God save us. At present, TOP and us are not enemy; we are friends. Whoever does not want Oyetola for second term is our friend. We shall jointly send Oyetola away.”
The Chairman of Osun Progressives, Rev. Adelowo Adebiyi, in a press statement he personaly signed on Monday, said from an unbiased mind, it is clear that the PDP Chairman was making reference to reckless facebook posts by members of the IleriOluwa camp.
The statement reads, “from an unbiased mind, it is clear that the PDP Chairman was making reference to reckless facebook posts by members of the IleriOluwa camp, who are known for lies, mischief, unsubstantiated allegations, deceit and deliberate misinformation to mislead members of the public.
“The IleriOluwa people have continuously failed to tag TOP in their desperate attempt to disparage us and misrepresent what we stand for in the party. If the IleriOluwa social media ranters did not make such mischievous post, the PDP Chairman would not have come up to comment on it.
“This is the same way they started the politics of pettiness and division under the supervision of the Governor and some of his cabinet members who are unruly, as they threw decorum into the wind in an attempt to disparage former governor Rauf Aregbesola.
“We have also heard the leaders of the confused IleriOluwa camp of their failed attempt to maliciously link us with PDP. This is a desperate attempt of a sinking camp which has exhausted itself in maligning TOP.
“However, to set the record straight, TOP is a caucus of APC and our hearts and souls are fully with the party. We did not have any alliance with PDP or any other party in the state. Why do we even need to form alliance with any party when we are sure of victory within our party before and after the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the state.
“We also want to tell the PDP that it is a wishful thinking for them to expect us to work against our party because of the current crisis. We are progressives to the core; we cannot betray our ideology.
“We urge members of the public to disregard the insinuation that TOP is working for or supporting PDP”.