The Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile led faction of the All progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has challenged Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administration to substantiate its allegation of smear campaign against it.
Publicity Secretary of the APC, Comrade Biodun Agboola, in a press release issued yesterday, said such allegation was unfounded and that the Oyetola’s administration should be the one to be reminded of many campaigns of calumny it has waged against his predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola since 2018.
Agboola said: Oyetola’s administration should rather check itself properly, saying it is being chased by its own shadow, noting that karma of what he did to his predecessor must be fast catching up with them.
He recalled that vigorous and deliberate efforts were made by the Governor and his team in feeding the public with falsehood with a view to blackmail Aregbesola.
According to Agboola, the Governor is crying wolf where there is none in his allegation that a smear campaign was being plotted against him and his government.
Agboola said it is amazing that a Governor who has spent the last three years maligning and setting up groups to blackmail his predecessor has raised alarm over smear campaign.
He listed different cases of deliberate falsehood which the Oyetola’s government, for reasons best known to it, had funded and promoted in the last three years.
The publicity secretary said: “The case of The Osun Masterminds group is just the latest of such groups, faceless individuals and members of the cabinet that have been assigned to attack and blackmail the former governor, Rauf Aregbesola.”
Saying the list of falsehood against Aregebsola is endless, the APC Spokesperson said rather than embark on continuation of people-focused and impactful programmes for which Oyetola was part of their execution, the Governor has put the state in reverse gear.
He said: “Virtually, every programme that earned our party accolades and made it an unbeatable one has been denigrated and diminished by the Governor. He has watched with pleasure how known members of his cabinet have used the social and mainstream media to cause disaffection among party members.
“How then can such a Governor come out now to allege any plot against his administration?”
The party said the case of the Osun Masterminds Group, which the government is encouraging to blackmail Aregbesola, has only backfired, adding that the questions the group asked should be answered by the Governor.
“When throwing stones, you should be mindful of where they land. You have set the group to malign Aregbesola. But now that it is clear that you sat over all affairs concerning loans and funds allocation, the ball is in the Governor’s court to tell Osun people which loans were taken and how they were spent,” he added.
The party said the governor must know that it is the civic responsibility of the people of the state to ask questions.
Agboola said: “Accountability and transparency in governance is not the same thing as smear campaigns. It is clear that the people of Osun are asking questions over issues bordering on finance and what the Governor has done with what he inherited. It is the duty of the governor to answer them and not whip up undue sentiments to muddle up the water.”