24th October, 2021
Former Governor Rauf Aregbesola seemed to have lost out in the battle to control Osun chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC as the Gboyega Famodun led executives elected at the state congress of the party by a faction loyal to his successor, Gboyega Oyetola was affirmed on Sunday.
Recall that a faction of Osun chapter of APC which tagged itself The Osun Progressives (TOP), loyal to Aregbesola had on 16 October organised a parallel congress where they elected former Secretary of Osun APC, Alhaji Rasak Salinsile, as their Chairman.
On the other hand, the Ileri Oluwa Group, loyal to Gov. Oyatola, held its congress at the Osogbo City Stadium where former caretaker chairman of the party, Mr Gboyega Famodun, was re-elected as the party chairman.
The Appeal Committee, set up to look into complaints from the state congress of APC in Osun affirmed the victory of the elected executives of Ileri Oluwa Group.
The Chairman of the five-man Appeal Committee, Amb. Obed Wadzani, stated this during at a news briefing at the party state secretariat on Sunday in Osogbo.
Wadzani said that despite reports of a parallel state congress by Osun APC the appeal panel did not receive any petition or appeal since its inauguration on Oct. 21 by the national leadership of the party at the National Secretariat, Abuja.
He explained that the decision of the panel to affirm the results of the state congress conducted and supervised by the Gbenga Elegbeleye-led state congress committee was taken in the absence of any petition or appeal.
“We are here on the mandate of the national leadership of the party in Abuja, and this press briefing is to inform you of the purpose why we are here.
“We are here as the members of the Appeal Committee from the national level and I can tell you that there is no appeal or petition whatsoever since the inauguration of the panel.
“Therefore, I will like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr Gboyega Famodun, State Chairman-elect and all his team for this wonderful work they have been doing. They have done excellently well,“ he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the APC State Chairman-elect, Famodun, promised to put in place workable mechanism that would strengthen the unity and togetherness among members and loyalists of the party.
Famodun, who expressed his readiness to embark on immediate reconciliatory process to reunite aggrieved members of the party, said no effort would be spared to collectively return Gov. Adegboyega Oyetola to office for a second term.
According to Famodun, the perceived aggrieved members of the party are a pressure group, who wants one thing or the other but with the steps that will be taken, they will come back and we will remain one family. (NAN)