- Tinubu, Akande, Govs Were Afraid Of Residents’ Protest On LG Crisis – Sources
- As Omisore, Supporters Fail To Attend Despite Persuasion
- Decampees’ Rally Flopped Because They Betrayed the People – Osun PDP
Real reasons have emerged as to why President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, State Governors and other top government functionaries failed to attend Saturday’s grand reception for five defecting PDP federal lawmakers into the party’s fold in Osun.
Findings by OSUN DEFENDER indicated that the party’s shrinking popularity, a possible protest by citizens and residents amidst the lingering local government feud as well as the perceived incapacitation of the leader of the party, former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, among others, were reasons adduced for their absence at the event.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that Senators Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), Olubiyi Fadeyi Ajagunla (Osun Central), Hon Taofeek Ajilesoro (Ife Federal Constituency), Hon. Sanya Omirin (Ijesa South Federal Constituency) and Hon. Oluwole Oke (Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency) officially joined the APC after their defection last year. The event also saw the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term.
Prior to the d-day, members of the party had taken to social media to announce that Tinubu, alongside top officials of the government would be visiting the state, to receive the decampees.
The situation resulted in a frenzy, with officials of the APC and the ruling Accord Party raising counter-allegations over a planned protest to call for a state of emergency during the projected visit of the President.
However, neither Tinubu, his vice Kashim Shettima, National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, presiding officers of the National Assembly, other top chieftains of the party, including the first Interim National Chairman of the APC, who is also a former Governor of Osun, Chief Adebisi Akande, were in attendance, nor did they send representatives to the event.
Also, the former National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, and his array of supporters were also visibly absent from the ceremony, a development many believed registered their displeasure with the event.
A source who spoke to OSUN DEFENDER on the condition of anonymity, yesterday, said, ‘President Tinubu and others did not come due to the situation of things in Osun. Some security reports noted that many citizens and residents of the state would have used the opportunity to register their displeasure with the state of affairs at local government areas in the state.
“Knowing this. The President decided not to come. His handlers did not want a situation that would embarrass him. It was also clear that the President knew that the odds did not favour whatever would make him regret coming to Osun. That is why he decided to just stay away and go to Kebbi.
“You will observe that even Baba Akande did not come. Neither did Senator Omisore who was disqualified alongside several others for controversial reasons during the last primaries attended. It showed that the party is largely divided and the issues stemming from the last primaries are very true. As a party, we still need a lot to do win the August 08, election.”
Another chieftain of the APC in Osun told the medium that the ‘boycott’ of Saturday’s event indicated that the leadership of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy was not strong enough.
The source claimed that many of the party’s bigwigs were only associating with Oyetola because of his relationship with President Tinubu.
“Our leader, Oyetola is not a good manager of party affairs. He believes in winner takes all. That is why many people did not come to the programme.
“Since the last primaries, many people even beyond the Omisore camp have not been happy with the way he is leading the party. The majority of those coming into the APC and queuing behind him are doing so because of his relationship with the President.
“He lacks the strong leadership skills required of him. If President Tinubu leaves power today, you will not see the avalanche of people you see flock around him today anymore.”
However, while speaking during the event, Oyetola noted that the defectors would strengthen the party’s resolve to reclaim the state and restore dignity to governance.
“We are gathered not just to receive our new members, but to affirm a shared conviction — that the sure path to prosperity, stability, and visionary leadership lies in the All Progressives Congress.
“In the APC, there are no strangers — we are one united family. Your arrival strengthens our resolve to reclaim Osun and restore dignity to governance,” he said.
Oyetola also said that the achievements of President Bola Tinubu since assuming office had laid a solid foundation for Nigeria’s rebirth.
“That is why we proudly and confidently endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in 2027 — to consolidate these gains and secure lasting prosperity,” he said.
- Decampees’ Rally Flopped Because They Betrayed the People – Osun PDP
In its reaction, the faction of the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Sunday Bisi said the event clearly fell into the category of desperate gatherings built on noise rather than genuine movements built on conviction.
The PDP in a statement said, “You cannot betray the mandate of the people and expect them to clap for you, because these National Assembly members were elected on the platform of our party. The people queued under the sun, and in the rain to vote for the PDP. They voted for our vision.
“They voted for the stability Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke has brought to Osun. So, when we saw the empty spaces at that rally, we were not surprised. Osun people do not clap for opportunists; they shun pretenders.
“Let us be sincere with ourselves, if they truly commanded the grassroots as they claimed, yesterday would have been different. The turnout would have spoken louder. Instead, what we saw was a struggle to create momentum where none existed. This flop is a monument to greed, desperation, and political irrelevance.
“It is also instructive that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu chose to be in Kebbi State instead of lending his presence to this event in Osun.
“We also found it telling that not even the National Chairman of the APC deemed it fit to grace the occasion. Chief Bisi Akande did not attend and Senator Iyiola Omisore was not officially invited. Their absence indicates the type of leadership controlling Osun APC; autocratic and despotic.
“When a single person decides to do things by himself without consulting others, when a single person sees others as irrelevant and worthless, you get the kind of empty spectacle witnessed yesterday.”
