- Safiu Kehinde
Loyalists to Ex- Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, have denied alleged defection from the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The group, under the aegis of Omoluabi Progressives, disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Abosede Oluwaseun.
In reaction to an online report stating their defection to a yet-to-be disclosed party, the group claimed it was another caucus who wanted Aregbesola out of the party and not his decision to defect.
The group’s alleged defection disclosed in a Facebook post by one Kamorudeen Adabanija whom the group disregarded, stressed that he is not authorized to speak on behalf of the group.
The statement read in part;”The online media is awash with a statement credited to Kamorudeen Adabanija stating that “Aregbesola, Loyalists Dump APC,” to mean that both the former Minister of Interior and his loyalists in the Omoluabi Progressives are no longer members of the APC and are moving to another party.
“We (Omoluabi Progressives) wish to declare that the statement is not true.
“Secondly, the said writer is not the spokesperson of the Omoluabi Progressives. He is not officially authorised to speak or make any declaration on behalf of the tendency.
“Lastly, it is not the Omoluabi Progressives or Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola that wants to pull out the APC. It is the other camp that wants our reverred leader and members of our caucus out of the party and have have declared us personal non-grata, as well as stated that they do not want us in the party anymore with their actions and inactions.
“Our position is clear on the political situation of Osun State and where the tendency is headed. Therefore, it is not correct to preempt the decision of the caucus.
“Those sensationally jumping the gun with misrepresentation and falsehood are plain mischief makers and should be disregarded.
“Omoluabi Progressives will always directly communicate its positions through its official channels and not through any third party.
“We remain committed to promoting the Omoluabi ethos of Competence, Courage, Character, Integrity, and our core value of Discipline.”
Aregbesola was Governor of Osun between 2010 and 2018. He served as the Minister of Interior under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
APC’s situation went awry after the election of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola (Aregbesola’s Chief of Staff for 8 years) with the internal crisis in the party. The party had crumbled under Oyetola with the loss of all elective positions in the state to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
The APC, now polarized, is a shadow of its past when it controlled almost all elective offices under the Aregbesola administration.