The apparent sign that Mr Bola Oyebamiji is the defacto candidate of the All Progressive Congress for 2026 has created another splinter group that is likely to be as strong as the Aregbesola group that quitted the APC ahead of the 2022 guber polls.
A major political group within the state APC is regrouping pulling together all party tendencies that opposed alleged autocratic action of the former Governors Gboyega Oyetola and Bisi Akande, the duo said to be pushing for the NIWA boss as a consensus candidate.
It was gathered that the two former Governors were not only rooting for Oyebamiji but are also insisting that only an affirmative primary will be held to annoint the Ikire politician, a dictatorial actions said to be pishing off many party members.
A new group christened “Majiyagbe Progressives” held its first meeting on Monday 13th with a resolve to push against the two former Governors in their bid to impose Oyebamiji.
A disgruntled APC chieftain who attended the meeting confirmed the emergence of the Majiyagbe group and warned against the insistence of the two Governors to follow the same path that led to the exit of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola from the party.
“I seek to be anonymous. The fact is we are angry and unhappy. We sticked our neck out for the Minister all along only for him to abandon democracy and design an imposition of his puppet who cannot win a cancellorship election at Ikire. It is not just the choice of the former Commissioner but the way the minister is going about it.
“We were told he is bitter we asked him not to run against Adeleke. But are we not right? Adeleke beat you as an incumbent. How can you beat him with such bad records? Adeleke has also won the hearts of the people. The minister ignored wise counsels when he was inside and we lost. Must we field a dead horse again in 2026?
“Why must he punish us for doing the right thing? Now he is bringing a former commissioner who is widely known to be very weak and cannot even control Irewole? Oyebamiji cannot face Senator Lere Oyewumi at Ikire. Why are these former Governors leading the our party on the path of destruction?
“We now see some reasons on the Aregbesola saga. This was how the former Governors sent Aregbesola out of the party and we lost in 2022. They have started again.
“We form the new group to vow to resist any attempt to impose Oyebamiji on us. We must learn lessons even if bitter. The former governors are not the owners of APC. We are all stakeholders”, the politicain who hail from Isokan local government affirmed.