- As Oyetola’s Commissioners, Aide Dump Party
The former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, may be forced to remain in the party ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, following the resignation of some of his loyalists.
This may be necessitated by his N4.7bn fraud case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to sources in the APC.
Recall that Omisore, who was declared wanted by the EFCC in May, was arrested on July 3, 2016 after N1.310bn was traced to the accounts of five companies allegedly belonging to him.
The money was said to be part of the N4.7bn allegedly disbursed by a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and his two sons, Gbolahan and Babajide.
He was later released on bail after 19 days in detention.
This, according to sources within the Osun APC, is preventing Omisore from leaving the party, as the alleged fraud case may be reopened against him by the Federal Government.
OSUN DEFENDER reliably gathered that he resigned as the National Secretary of the APC after the 2023 general elections, as he was being threatened with an EFCC case.
“I can categorically tell you that Omisore won’t be leaving the APC to join another party. He dares not do that. Recall that he had a EFCC case, this may be used against him. However, some of his loyalists had resigned from the party. But he will be forced to stay behind.
“But we hope leaders of the party will also swing into action to prevent further defection. This was how we lost the 2022 election as a result of the crisis with Aregbesola’s faction. We should avoid the same history this time around,” the source said.
Omisore, who contested the 2026 governorship ticket, was disqualified alongside other aspirants from participating in the APC primary, which paved the way for Bola Oyebamiji as a consensus candidate.
Former governor Adegboyega Oyetola was accused of manipulating the exercise in favor of Oyebamiji.
The development has, however, created a sharp division within the party, especially between Oyetola and Omisore’s camp.
Oyetola allegedly failed to manage the imbroglio between him and Omisore’s group since the primary election.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the internal wrangling within the Osun APC appears to be deepening following the resignation of three prominent members of the party during the week.
Hon. Folorunso Oladoyin, popularly known as Bambam, a former Commissioner for Education under the administration of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and a two-term member of the Osun State House of Assembly, has officially resigned from the APC.
In a related development, a former Osun House of Assembly member in Odo-Otin, Hon. Olalekan Oyediran, former Commissioner for Political Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, Hon. Taiwo Akeju and Hon. Halim Bakare, who served as Special Adviser on Lands during the Oyetola administration, has also announced his resignation from the party.
The departures have fuelled fresh discussions about the state of the opposition party in Osun ahead of the 2027 elections.
Political observers say the resignations reflect growing discontent among some party stakeholders, although APC leaders have yet to issue an official response to the latest developments.
Sources within the party alleged that several grassroots members and leaders have become dissatisfied with the party’s internal affairs, citing concerns over leadership decisions, internal democracy, and the management of party structures.
The sources further claimed that some aggrieved members believe their contributions to the growth of the APC in the state have not been adequately recognized, leading to increasing frustration within certain party circles.
OSUN DEFENDER reliably gathered that meetings involving some APC stakeholders were recently held at the Ede residence of the Governor Ademola Adeleke’s family ahead of the latest resignations.
The medium further learnt that there are imminent defections in the coming weeks, with several APC figures set to dump the party.
Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.
