Osun Guber: Oyetola, Famodun Cheaply Delivered Victory, Says APC Chairman

The factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Rasaq Salinsile, has stated that Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the Chairman of the IleriOluwa faction of the party, Gboyega Famodun, cheaply delivered victory to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 16 gubernatorial election.

According to Salinsile, Oyetola and Famodun’s unresponsiveness and impunity on party issues led to the total collapse of the APC’s winning structures and the eventual loss of the governorship election.

Salinsile who addressed a press conference on Wednesday in Osogbo, accused Oyetola and Famodun of deliberately weakening the Osun APC by wishing away ‘dog-handlers’ and grassroots mobilisers who have been delivering victory for the party since 2007.

He asked the national secretariat of the party to immediately restructure Osun APC, noting that the only way to bring back the winning strength of the party is to reorganise it before the 2023 general elections.

The former Chief of Staff to the governor said it was unfortunate that both Famodun and Oyetola wanted to dislodge genuine progressives in the party with paperweight politicians who could not win their units, wards and local government.

Salinsile absolved members of The Osun Progressives (TOP) from the allegations that they worked against APC and mobilised voters for Ademola Adeleke, the Governor-elect.

He said Famodun’s inability to manage the party because of his selfish interest is responsible for the APC’s electoral misfortune.

He added that Oyetola and Famodun are in the process of ‘finishing’ the Osun APC because of their fresh plan to suspend leaders of TOP and others who have different views to theirs.

“Let me quickly note that they are up at arms to finish Osun APC with an instruction to ward chairmen to start suspension of members of TOP from the APC”, he said.

"Towards 2022, the party got divided into two with the former and incumbent governors leading the two caucuses.

"Famodun felt so comfortable to side with one of them and make the enemy of the other because of lucre-immediate gain.

“Then we went to election and lost scandalously, even in our traditional safe constituencies and he start looking for a scapegoat.

"Famodun is to be told that he is an original failure and should be so told.

“The TOP which Famodun is trying to blame had offered to help him in resolving the matters that is affecting the party but his penchant for avarice, greed and corruption will not allow him to see reason.

“May we ask Famodun, is it the TOP leaders and members who he described as rebels, insignificant, not popular at home, not core politicians, etc that suddenly, in his warped thinking, become strong enough to win an election against him and his almighty government?

“It is only a warped and a heretical thinking that has brought Famodun to that inebriated conclusion.

"Is it TOP that make Famodun and other cabinet members lose in their various wards and local governments?"  

Salinsile said both Oyetola and Famodun are responsible for the defeat suffered by the APC in the governorship election.

“The duo of Governor Oyetola and Prince Famodun have definitely fulfilled their wishful mission to bring APC down in Osun."

Salinsile also called the National Secretariat of the party to as a matter of duty to immediately re-organise, reboot, re-energise the Osun APC for greater future performances.