Osoba declares final parting of ways with Amosun

The former governor of Ogun State vows never to reconcile with Amosun

Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta

The former governor of Ogun State and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Olusegun Osoba has vowed that he will never reconcile with Governor Ibikunle Amosun again, declaring that the battle line has been drawn between them.

He also told his loyalists to henceforth keep their meeting registers and get ready for the next line of action.

Osoba made the declaration today at a meeting styled, consultative forum held at his residence in Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta.

Both Osoba and Governor Ibikunle Amosun have been at loggerheads over the control of the party in the state. At the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the party in Abuja last week, Governor Amosun reportedly asked the meeting to ask Chief Osoba what else he wanted him to do to reach political amity with him. Chief Osoba reportedly did not utter a word.

Chief Osoba’s rallying his supporters against the governor and the party under the control of Governor Amosun, may be a defining moment in the testy political relationship. Chief Osoba spoke about a ‘promised land’ but he did not indicate whether he and his group will dump the APC.

While addressing the crowd of supporters from all the 236 wards in the State, the former governor said,

” You know we have been together since 1988. Sooner than later, everything will be settled. Henceforth, at every ward meeting, please be keeping registers, because the one they presented are fake ones. This time around, there is no room for any criss-crossing. Whoever that does not have voter’s card, we would not allow him to vote.

“We are here today,no one induced you with N10,000 or N20,000 before you came here. You are not like those people they are inducing with money before attending meetings. Go and open register at every ward, so at the next meeting, I expect all the 236 wards to have got their registers and send them to their various local governments”, Osoba stated.

“Don’t listen to any hearsay. If you have anything that is not clear to you, ask your executive members. Your executive members came to me, they said they don’t trust me again, they said they don’t believe in me again, that I will soon forgive and say everything has been settled. They said I will tell them that some Obas have appealed to me.

” I was shocked and asked them what led to this. They said they have concluded and their decisions are that everyone should go on his or her way. Secondly, they said they are not ready for any harmonisation,not even, 70/30; 80/20; 95/5, is it true or not?,Osoba asked. The crowd answered in the affirmative.

“Our people here are original party members. You are not dubious, you have tellers, you don’t want to associate with those that do not have tellers. You are the ones who collected the tellers with your hard-earned money and not government money. You followed party procedures and not criss-crossing around. Where we are now, no room for harmonisation or reconciliation. If it has got to that stage, it means, we have drawn two parallel lines.

” When they said that, I asked them again, if they have fully concluded and we went into an inner meeting and inside there, I vowed to them that I will not forgive or reconcile with anybody.

“As I stand before you today, I swear before God and Jesus Christ, my Lord, I promised you all that the issue of forgiveness is no more. If you stand firmly as a warrior, that is enough for me. If you are ready, there is no more room for reconciliation. If thousands of people prostrate, it is what you want that I will do, it is what you say that I will say, I will stand where you stand.

“I want to appeal to you, don’t be distracted.They said they have given them the party structure, leave them. Are you dragging the party with them?

“It is those that have people that have the party”,the former governor said.

On the move by the national body to settle all disputes in some states by appointing caretaker committees in those States, Osoba reacted:

“They said they have set up elders committee, don’t mind them, I don’t know who is older than me politically amongst them. None of them is closer to Awolowo than I was. I wined and dined with him. I don’t have confidence in those people up their again. They are interested in eating you up, don’t allow them to deceive you again.

“They are coming soon, when they come, they would not meet me. It is you the executives that they will meet. Tell them what is on ground. It is not the issue of party. When did we form APC? Not up to a year. You people are the vehicle and the vehicle is moving. We have dropped the traitors and the betrayers. When I call you then, will you join me”, he asked.

Osoba dismissed an alleged threat from the governor’s camp to all the Senators,some Reps members and some of his loyalists at the State Assembly. He said the threat will not hold water,maintaining that,the battle now is a fight to the finish.

According to him,”they are the ones that are threatening Obadara, Kaka,Odunsi, some reps members and our members at the State House of Assembly. They don’t give them money, hoping they will turn back when they starve them with money.

“Leave them, we are moving to the promised land and over there,there are many offices and positions available. I believe you all understand me very well.

“They said they are planning for convention, what concerns me with the convention.They once asked me to come and be their Chairman and I told them that I don’t have interest. Those leaders in Abuja said they can trade with all those that are aspiring to send all the Senators,the reps members and assembly men away. I want to assure you that we will definitely get to the promised land,the original Action Group,the true Awoist group.This is not an abusive time,leave them with their own, don’t join issues with them”,he advised.

The former governor also reacted to newspaper reports about why he has been at loggerheads with Amosun.

“They said what did Osoba want? If you read newspapers this week, they said they have given me everything I want and my questions to them are, can they pay back all the money I spent during the election? Can they reward my good name that gave us the victory during the election? Can they pay back all my efforts to assemble all these people that we used during the elections? How much were they paid then? Each ward was given N10,000 then,now multiply the amount with 236 wards that we have in the State,it amounted to N2.3 million and that is the only money they spent during the elections’,if it is more than that,let them come out and say it?

“Now what Osoba wants is this, I want all of you that are here that laboured both in rain and sun for this party not to suffer in vain. Don’t drag issues with them, just leave them, we will get to that promise land. If within just 48 hours of calling you and we have this kind of crowd,which is not rented ones, I want to believe that,success is ours and I will forever be happy with you”, Osoba revealed.

He however charged all his loyalists to ensure that ward and local meetings are not hindered, adding that, most of the members of the Action Congress, an alliance partner of the APC, who had left for other parties, have been discussing with him.

“As soon as you leave here, continue with your ward meetings, all our members that have defected or forcefully send packing to Labour Party and PDP have been discussing with me. They said they are ready to come back, that anytime they hear the trumpet from me, they will move to the river shore.

“They may call you to come and pick up jobs now, don’t answer them. After three years in office and few months to election, they are deceiving you. I am going to start from now on and move to the three Senatorial Districts and from there to all towns and villages in the State.You can still remember the way we were doing our campaign then,the same strategy will be applied now”, he said.

He said as soon as he finished with his consultations with some elders and leaders, he will contact the people and by then, the decision on where and what to do would have been concluded.

“Don’t listen to rumour again. They are on their own. Just wait for me. when I meet with the leaders, you will hear from me”,Osoba said.