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Says APC is “Baba Sope” Party
The revelation by a senatorial aspirant in Osun State that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had expressed his interests to work more with Governor Ademola Adeleke rather than any All Progressive Congress candidate has sparked a fresh row in the party in the state.
The senatorial aspirant, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, who is eyeing the senatorial ticket for Osun West under the platform of the APC had said during a consultative meeting with leaders of the party in the zone at the weekend that the President had, during one of the previous meetings Tinubu had with leaders of the party from Osun, said he would prefer to work in partnership with Adeleke ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While Adeleke is seeking re-election for a second term in Osun, Tinubu is seeking a second term as Nigeria’s President in 2027.
In a video of Ogunbiyi which has now gone viral among political interests in Osun, he was heard saying that just as the leaders present at the meeting would recall, he was one of those who had signified his intention to contest for the governorship seat before the party settled for its present candidate, Bola Oyebanji.
Ogunbiyi said in the video that before the contest for the party’s ticket got to a peak, Tinubu had expressed interest in Adeleke, who was then in the Peoples Democratic Party before his final defection to the Accord Party.
NPO Reports further that Adeleke had almost concluded plans to join the APC before the said negotiations broke down forcing him to defect to the Accord Party instead.
He further stated before the party’s senatorial leaders that it was the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, who stood against Tinubu’s preference for Adeleke.
Causing further controversy, according to findings by the NPO Reports is the fact that Ogunbiyi also alleged that there is no internal democracy in the APC adding that it is a party of whatever the leaders dictate.
The video showed Ogunbiyi saying that just as the leaders know, APC is a party where only whatever the leaders say is the final.
The video has caused so much upset within the party that its state chapter had to dissuade members from taking serious whatever claims Ogunbiyi made.
In what appeared an urgent move to douse the tension created by Ogunbiyi’s video, Kola Olabisi, the party’s spokesman in Osun had on Saturday, in reaction, described the viral video as the handiwork of those he called the enemy of the APC.
Olabisi also said that Ogunbiyi’s speech was twisted by the members of Adeleke’s Accord Party.
“There’s no doubting the fact that the failed political entities who have been circulating the innocently made but twisted content of the message of Dr. Ogunbiyi at a political meeting who, no doubt, is one of the dependable chieftains of our party not only in the Osun-West Senatorial District of the state but in the entire state did not disappoint the discerning minds that they were up to a mischief which has refused to neither fly nor sit.
“One wonders why the political agents of rifts, who are glaringly afraid of their shadow with reference to the current political situation in the state, which, in all ramifications, is pointing towards the meeting of their imminent doom, would resort to a misrepresentation of fact to oil their famished and dwindling political interest.
“We want to state here unequivocally that Dr Ogunbiyi is one of the credible, trusted and dependable chieftains of our party who would never be a party to the advancement of any misfortune for our party in any form,” the statement read.
Olabisi went further, “May we ask the unsolicited purveyors of the distorted video recording why they chose to prioritise the clip being circulated without showing the area where Ogunbiyi reiterated his absolute commitment towards the concerted efforts of our party to send the embattled Governor Ademola Adeleke back to wherever he might come from?” He asked.
Meanwhile, the full as seen by NPO Reports showed moment Ogunbiyi commended the Osun West leadership over the emergence of Oyebanji as the party’s candidate.
“We’ve struggled. The last meeting we had at the Federal Constituency, we know one another’s strength.
“When it comes to grassroot, I salute him for his work in Osun West. We will work with him and ensure our preferred candidate, Biodun Oyebamiji emerge victorious.
“It’s just prayer alone. We need to work towards it. I want us to work together in this our Senatorial in such a way that will be trusted in terms massive voters’ turnout.
“When Oyebanji enters, life will be easy for the APC in Osun State.” The senatorial aspirant said in the video.
The controversial part of the statement would emerge while Ogunbiyi was recalling the Osun APC stakeholders’ visit to Tinubu.
According to him the President had initially claimed supporting Adeleke with the thought that the Osun APC would not be presenting a candidate.
However, with Oyebanji’s emergence, Ogunbiyi called for total support of cooperation towards ensuring his victory at the poll.
“Omo Oba will remember when we went to meet the President, he said he wasn’t expecting candidate from us. He said that he had invited Ademola to make things easier for him.
“He then declared that Gboyega as the man destined by God to return the APC to power.
“We need to work for us to the benefit of this opportunity. If we don’t, we won’t see the benefit. We must however ensure that APC wins in Osun state. How Oyebanji will emerge winner is a must for us.” Ogunbiyi said.
While the statements credited to Ogunbiyi have become a weapon in the hands of the camp of Adeleke to whip the APC, NPO Reports reliably gathered that some leaders and members of different groups in the party are working to make the statement cost Ogunbiyi his senatorial ambition.
NPO Reports that Ogunbiyi, an insurance magnate and Chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance has contested for the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party in the past showing very strong campaign appeals to the people of Osun.