Just In : APC leaders seek PMB’s sanction against Aregbesola
…Umahi, Bagudu, Sanwo-Olu meet Interior Minister in Abuja
As the race for the Osun State All Progressives Congress governorship primary scheduled for Saturday 19th, February, 2022 hots up, our heritage reporter has gathered that some concerned APC leaders, governors and stakeholders reported the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to President Muhammadu Buhari for possible sanction against the minister for causing disaffection and instigating political crisis in Osun State.
The governors and key leaders of the party our correspondent learnt, from sources close to the Presidency, made their case against Aregbosola to President Buhari shortly before he left Abuja on Tuesday for the EU-Africa Summit in Brussels.
One governor from the South-West in his meeting with the president specifically complained about the way and manner former governor Aregbesola, a serving minister, comported himself a few days ago in Ilesa, Osun State.
In the meantime, Osun State APC Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famokun, has called on the Presidency to call Aregbesola to order for abuse of his current office and misuse of officers of the Civil Defence Corps to create chaos in the state.
Famokun in a press statement released in Osogbo on Tuesday alleged that Civil Defence as para-military organisation under the Ministry of Interior has lent itself as an infrastructure of disruption of the peace in Osun State.
Famokun noted, “Osun has remained safe until the countdown to its party primaries. On the evening of February 14, the men of Civil Defence drove aggressively through the state capital, providing cover for the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and causing disruption of peace. We are calling on the Presidency to call the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, and the Civil Defence Corps to order. Our party, the APC, the government and the citizens of Osun are not interested in any form of violence, and the selfish ambition of an individual or group isn’t worth the blood of any Osun citizen.”
There had been crisis of confidence between Aregbesola, immediate past governor of Osun State and his successor, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, and this has snowballed into open confrontation where the minister is supporting a faction of APC that is opposed to the second term ambition of Governor Oyetola.
The Aregbesola backed APC faction is rooting for Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, a former Secretary to Osun State Government in the administration of Aregbosola. The former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Lasun Yusuf is also contesting for the governorship seat within the The Osun Progressives (TOP) camp being promoted by Aregbesola and allegedly funded by a former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
What shocked party faithful, supporters, and observers was the open declaration of war and attacks on the person of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu by Aregbesola at a political event organised by his group in Osogbo on Monday where he presented Adeoti as a challenger to Oyetola.
At the event, Aregbesola said Tinubu had turned himself to God because himself and others have given him undue loyalty and reverence meant for only God and they are now prepared to bring Tinubu down.
The gathering of Adeoti and Aregbesola poured other invectives on Tinubu which some APC governors and national leaders considered unbecoming of a serving minister in the government of President Buhari.
A source close to the minister told our correspondent early this morning that about five APC Governors met with Aregbesola into early hour of Wednesday morning seeking ways on how to de-escalate the political tension in Osun that is spiraling out of control following the creeping violence in the state just three days to the party primary election.
Among the APC Governors that met with the Minister in his Abuja residence are Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State. The governors who were said to have been dispatched by their other colleagues in the Progressives Governors’ Forum sought assurances from Aregbesola that he would prevail on his supporters to allow for a peaceful conduct of the primary.
The governors led by Bagudu, our correspondent learnt, impressed it on Aregbesola that APC can not afford to lose the coming election in Osun State and that PDP in the state is a formidable opposition that requires that APC gets its house in order.
Aregbesola, according to our reliable source, made three demands namely-assurance of a free and credible primary election from the APC Governors that visited him with a promise that once the primary election is free and devoid of manipulation, he will support whoever wins among the three contenders.
Secondly, he stated that if Governor Oyetola wins the primary, he will work for his success at the poll. Aregbesola, also made a commitment not to leave APC with his supporters to another party.
Finally, he demanded that in the event that his candidate loses out, Aregbesola requested that his people should be accommodated in the party structure in the state.
“Aregbesola seems to be losing out and it would appear that what he wants is accommodation for his people in the party structure in the state. The APC Governors who came to visit him did not commit to any of his demand. They simply told him they would take up his demands with higher authorities and come back to him. But what irked some of the party leaders and an action they considered condemnable was his attack against Tinubu,” said our source.
