‘Oath-Taking’ In Support Of Oyetola’s Second Term Sparks Reactions

 

Kazeem Badmus

SOME leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun have been accused of luring members of the party to taking oath to support the second term ambition of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and continuation of Prince Gboyega Famodun as the party chairman in the state.

According to a socio-political group, Society for Good Governance, the ‘oath-taking’ is always attached to every empowerment and opportunity being facilitated by either of a government official or a politician in their various areas.

OSUN DEFENDER watched a video where some members of the APC were taking oath to declare their support for Oyetola and Famodun, just as they rained curses on those that are not supporting the governor for second term.

In the video, the APC members also denounced a caucus of the APC, ‘The Osun Progressives’.

Also, some women in the APC have accused the State Women Leader of the party, Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde, of compelling them to swear on oath to support Oyetola and Famodun.

One of the women who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER under condition of anonymity said: “On Tuesday, June 8, 2021, the State Women Leader of APC, Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde, called all APC women leaders in all the local governments of the state to a meeting at the state party Secretariat in Osogbo.

“At the meeting, she asked the women leaders to off their footwears and swear on an oath to support Oyetola’s second term and continuation of Famodun. She was video-recording the process. She also asked us to swear that we will support her continuation too and that we will not join ‘The Osun Progressives.”

“And that we should go to our various local governments and do the same thing she was doing for all the women in the APC. She was raining curses on Aregbesola at the meeting.

“Please rescue us from the Women Leader, Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde. Is APC now a cult group? Very soon, they will ask us to sleep inside coffin to take an oath. Please help us.”

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the Spokesperson of the Society for Good Governance, Ms Tope Olaiya called on democrats in the state to caution the APC leaders and government officials on forcing members of the party to take oath.

According to Olaiya, it is not only barbaric but criminal for anybody to force a person to take an oath to support a particular cause against the wish of the people.

Olaiya maintained that oath-taking is against every democratic norm, just as she asked every rational leader of the APC and all government officials to wade into the matter and put a stop to it.

She said: “In the last couple of days, we have received credible information about how some government officials and APC leaders are forcing some people to take oath to support the second term ambition of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the continuation of Prince Gboyega Famodun as the party Chairman.

“We also have with us complaints by the Women Wing of the APC that the Women Leader of the party, Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde, called them to a meeting where she asked them to be swearing on an oath to support Governor Oyetola’s second term and that of Famodun and herself.

“We should also recall that before Governor Oyetola emerged as the candidate of the APC in the 2018 Governorship Elections, some government officials were asked to be swearing on an oath to support his aspiration.

“We also have it on good authority that before the appointment of Commissioners and Special Advisers, some of them were asked to swear on an oath not to have anything to do (again) with former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

“The compilation of these complaints and facts suggest that APC, our party, is fast becoming a cult group. This is against every democratic norm. Forcing your choice on people is undemocratic, not to talk of taking a step further – asking people to swear on an oath, which is criminal.

“We understand that there is distrust within the Oyetola cabinet and the party. But the concerned people could avoid the embarrassing and undemocratic practice by appointing only their allies in government while ensuring that fresh blood is injected into the party to curry their loyalty.

“We place a passionate call to every rational and right-thinking leader of the APC, especially those in government to wade into the matter. This is not our APC. We are not known for occultic practices.”

Reacting, the Women Leader of the APC, Alhaja Fakokunde denied the allegations, saying that she never asked anybody to swear on an oath.

She said: “I did not ask anybody to swear on an oath. I only asked the women to support Oyetola’s second term and that was how I rallied round Aregbesola during his days.

Reacting to the issue, the Media Consultant to the APC Chairman, Mr. Kola Olabisi said Famodun was not aware of the oath-taking by some of his party members.

Olabisi said: “The Chairman is not aware of any oath. He cannot ask anybody to swear on an oath for anything. It is not in his character to do that.”