OPINION: Backward March To Opposition (II)

 

BY ABIODUN AKANJI

UNKNOWN to many party faithful, Gov. Oyetola harboured different intentions since his emergence as the candidate of the party. He was no longer comfortable with the party stalwarts that put resources together for his victory. He started to make moves to convert the whole party structure to his own group as the Governor and the leader of the party in the state but he lacks the capacity.

Immediately he was declared winner, his body language started to say something else, contrary to expectations of the majority. He began to avoid any serious issue to discuss with the party stalwarts about the coming government of the APC.

However, the pretence didn’t last; as the issue later became a public knowledge. At a particular public function, a journalist asked him about the rumoured rift between him and Ogbeni which he denied. 

In February/March 2019, Aregbesola left Lagos to Osun in preparation for the 2019 general election duty for the party. Nobody in his right senses would ever assume that Oyetola wouldn’t be comfortable with this political decision of Ogbeni as the immediate past Governor of the state. But Oyetola’s displeasure through his body language was not hidden which made some party men to suspect that he was not comfortable with his predecessor around for the election. To him, his erstwhile boss was not giving him a space to shine. For the 16 days that Ogbeni spent at the presidential lodge in the Government House compound, he was treated like nobody by his successor. Immediately after the election, he left back to Lagos.

After Ogbeni left, Gov. Oyetola felt relieved and comfortable. The atmosphere around him created and gave room for a lot of unfounded insinuations. His hangers around started to tell whosoever that listen to them that Aregbesola has done his own and left, it is now the turn of Oyetola to be in charge and Aregbesola should keep off the new government. 

 OVER TO THE UNDERDOGS

Entered the IleriOluwa caucus in the State of Osun APC, whose APEX leader and known political butterflies but calling themselves eagles.

They took over the entire affairs around Gov. Oyetola, including his next political moves. They manipulated everything around him. Their style was to come up with a certain false narrative at a particular time against Ogbeni. The worst lie they fed the public with was their claim that Aregbesola didn’t want Oyetola to become the Governor and with that impression, Gov. Oyetola and his underdogs launched an onslaught against Ogbeni and this was the issue that started to cause cracks in the party till today. They came up with the decision that if they were to upstage Ogbeni, the best is for them to start early. 

Under the guise of a pardon and false impression of a genuine intention to bring people back to the party, Gov. Oyetola reached out secretly to most of the characters that fiercely stood against him and the party during the 2018 governorship election. He asked them to go and join his group, the IleriOluwa under the leadership of Hon. Ajibola Famurewa, the Director- General of IleriOluwa Campaign Organization. This was how the likes of Sunday Akere and others found their ways back to the party. 

Some elements in the IleriOluwa apex have constituted themselves to a cabal.  Their sole agenda was to emerge as the new power block in both the government and party affairs; a mission that could not be easily achieved unless they disorganise the status quo. With this in mind, they started to say different things against Ogbeni and anybody they considered a core Aregbesola loyalist. Some political idiots were recruited for that purpose.

  THE MISGUIDED UTTERANCES

From their mischievous opinions, the underdogs went to town and polluted the peaceful atmosphere in Osun APC with different lies and misguided utterances. 

One of the notable faces in the IleriOluwa apex is Remi Omowaiye. Gov. Oyetola made him the Supervisor in charge of the Ministry of Works and Transports before he was later appointed as Commissioner for the ministry. On one occasion, when he was asked about the situation of works done on the road rehabilitation projects, he said: “We are not making serious progress o, you know the last administration (referring to Aregbesola) has created some problems for us”. Little did people understand that the opportunist was echoing Oyetola’s thoughts then. 

They later started to separate Oyetola from certain decisions taken during the same past administration where he served as the Chief of Staff. One later started to hear things like “Aye Afusa ti lo” (the era of half salary has gone), “Aregbesola should give us a space”, “Rauf ti ba nkan je gan, gbese oo” (Aregbesola has spoilt lots of things) and  “Nothing like Rauf boys again” from the now established IleriOluwa camp, party members started to wonder what brought these things they were saying and pleaded not to allow such situation in the interest of the party. Such misguided utterances, among others signals, the beginning of the problem that later snowballed into crisis. 

Little did innocent party members knew that the messengers of doom were busy doing their calculations and paper works. Perceived core Aregbesola loyalists were being tactically pushed aside. Political idiots from across the local governments were allowed free entry to the government house so far you have anything to say against Rauf, his aides and loyal followers. Bad-mouthing Ogbeni was the only meal ticket in the government house.

A new order that took Osun APC to the abattoir was emerging under Oyetola and during the period, Prince Famodun was comfortably sleeping.