Less than 24 hours to the scheduled governorship primaries of the All Progressive Congress in Osun, there are uncertainties and tension over the exercise.
The tension is precipitated over the hardline postures of two warring factions of the party.
The two factions, The Osun Progressives (TOP) and the Ileri Oluwa Camp are poised for ‘war’ of supremacy as the party organizes primaries on Saturday.
The last two weeks have witnessed deadly attacks, accusations and counter-accusations between the factions as they inch towards tomorrow’s exercise.
While the incumbent Gboyega Oyetola who leads the Ileri Oluwa camp is determined to win the ticket of the party, a huge population of party members are determined to ease him out over allegations that he had performed poorly on all front in the last three years and more.
Those who see Oyetola to have poorly managed the affairs of the party and failed to move the state forward after Aregbesola have come under the leadership of former Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
Contesting for the ticket from the camp is former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti.
While Oyetola has spent the last one week on sensitization of party members, Adeoti as well has been moving from one corner of the state to another.
Adeoti, while speaking in Iwo, Ijebu Jesa and Ikire, vowed to displace Oyetola.
Adeoti said in three years and more of Oyetola, he has divided the APC beyond imagination.
Also speaking at the Ikire rally on Thursday, Aregbesola said he pleaded with Oyetola not to derail on the progress of the APC in Osun saying that could spell doom for the party.
“We are back to reclaim our party,” Said Aregbesola at the IjebuJesa rally.
The last few days too have witnessed apprehensions among party members whether the APC could go to the July 16 election with a badly divided house.
Those who expressed anger said that having been very difficult for Oyetola to win the election in 2018 when the APC was united, it looks more difficult now for any candidate to win the election if the camps fail to close ranks.
Things boiled over two weeks ago when Aregbesola, who had remained silent over the crisis in the party for long, identified with Rasak Salinsile faction of the party.
Aregbesola’s declaration had buoyed the confidence of the majority of the party who believe that something urgent must be done to save the party.
Ahead of Saturday’s exercise, there are feelers that some party loyalists are calling for a postponement of the exercise from both Ileri Oluwa and TOP camps.
Those who have expressed the need for a shift say that could provide a window of opportunity for more negotiations to save the party from sinking.
“See, don’t let us deceive ourselves, APC is doomed if we go into election like this. The crowd at Aregbesola and Adeoti’s rallies are intimidating and even if our boss wins the ticket on Saturday, what chance do we stand with such members of the APC alienated from the party,” a leader of the APC at the National Assembly who pleaded anonymity told NPO Reports late night Thursday.
It was gathered that some members of the party are making entreaties to the Governor to bend backward to negotiate with the TOP faction to save the party.