Oyetola’s Followers, APC Chieftains Join Omoluabi Caucus

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has lost hundreds of his followers, who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State to the Omoluabi caucus of the party.

Led by a former State Treasurer of the APC and immediate-past Commissioner for Rural Development, Hon. Segun Olanibi, the APC members moved to the Omoluabi caucus yesterday at Iperindo, Atakunmosa East local government of the state. 

Speaking at the event yesterday, Olanibi, who is a former Chairman of the local government, disclosed that the Oyetola-led IleriOluwa group mismanaged the party and was not ready to amend its way. 

Olanibi said he led other members of the party to support Oyetola on the instructions of Aregbesola from 2018 until the time he decided to withdraw from his tendency. 

The APC chieftain emphasized the need to reconcile the party members ahead of the future elections, saying that the current administrators of the APC could not take it to the promised land with their attitude. 

Leading their clusters to join the Omoluabi Caucus are former Chairman of Atakunmosa East Local Council Development Area, Iwara, Hon. Busuyi Makanjuola, former Secretary to the LCDA, Hon. Kola Omoniyi, former member of the Local Government Education Authority, Iperindo, Chief Gbenga Oladunjoye and former Councillor of Ward 3, Hon. Bimbola Ogungbe. 

Others are former Vice Chairman, Atakunmosa East Local Government, Iperindo, Hon. Asiwaju Rasaq Oyelami, former Majority Leader of the local government, Hon. Bowofolu Babawale, Asiwaju Rasaq Oyelami and former Leader of the House, Atakunmosa East Local Government, Hon. Busoye Onigbogi.

The new members of the Omoluabi Caucus were received by the former Chairman of the party, Rev. Adelowo Adebiyi; the former Vice Chairman of the party, Alh. Azeez Adesiji; and the former Comm. for Works and Transport, Engr. Kazeem Salami.

Speaking on their behalf, a former Vice Chairman and Secretary of Atakumosa East Local Government of the state, Hon. Rasaq Oyelami, cited undemocratic conduct and practice, selfishness, promotion of individual interests above party interests, and arrogance, among others, as reasons for leaving the group. 

Oyelami stated that they had to stay this long in IleriOluwa for political reasons, bothering on the need to exhaust all means of reconciliation of differences within different causes in the party, which has been to no avail.

He noted that there is no indication that the APC will achieve the ultimate aim of a political party going by the current way it is operating, saying the party has experienced disastrous electoral outings in the last round of elections and has not shown the readiness to act differently from what made it fall.

Oyelami stressed further: “The exhibition of undemocratic norms, deceit, mutual exclusion of members with regular overriding opinions of the few electorally ineffective leaders of Ilerioluwa, arrogance and gangster behaviour, selflessness, etc., which are alien to the essence of progressive politics, make it essential to decamp without delay.

“Our outcry to the Ilerioluwa caucus leading the APC for a change of tactics, especially getting Ogbeni and Oyetola reconciled, was always seen as disloyalty and anti-party activity. So, for us, we are better off being with the caucus where we share a mutual understanding of politics, governance, and democratic norms, hence our homegoing.”

Speaking at the event, a former State Chairman of the APC, Rev. Lowo Adebiyi, welcomed the APC members to the Omoluabi caucus, saying they have taken the correct step by reuniting themselves with the core progressive tendency. 

Adebiyi declared that Omoluabi is a caucus within the APC and not a faction, maintaining that the group is open to all reasonable members of the society.