The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria’s Osun State has refuted the claim made by the former governor of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, regarding a power-sharing agreement. Aregbesola had asserted that an agreement was reached on August 26th, 2021, stipulating that his faction would be considered in forming the government, with one-third of the appointments in the second term of Governor Oyetola’s administration.
The APC stated that Aregbesola might be referring to an agreement he reached with the Adeleke dynasty, as the Adeleke faction received one-third of the appointments in the current administration led by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The party’s chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, clarified that the only agreement endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande occurred in December 2020, and Aregbesola had deviated from the spirit and letter of that agreement. Lawal mentioned that Aregbesola prepared the contents of the resolutions, which were vetted by Chief Bisi Akande before being presented to party leaders.
He added that part of the agreement was an “automatic ticket for Oyetola,” allowing him to govern without interference while the trio of Chief Bisi Akande, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola would lead, guide, coordinate, and administer the party.
Lawal accused Aregbesola of sponsoring Alhaji Moshood Adeoti against Oyetola during the primaries, contrary to the agreement. Despite Oyetola’s victory in the election, Aregbesola went to court with Adeoti to challenge the primary outcome and sponsored multiple cases in various courts against Oyetola’s nomination.
Lawal stated that Aregbesola’s claims of influence in Osun were limited, and the APC’s decline had begun before Aregbesola left office due to policies perceived as anti-masses. He accused Aregbesola of unleashing terror on Osun citizens for three years to further his political interests.
He urged loyal members to be cautious of Aregbesola’s actions, emphasising that he intended no good for the party.
In his words, “Oyetola did everything within his powers to accommodate Aregbesola, including ensuring that about 10 cabinet members who served in his (Aregbesola) cabinet were retained by Oyetola.
“By his latest false claims, Aregbesola is only seeking political relevance, but we will not be distracted by his antics. We call on every loyal and committed member of the APC in Osun to be wary of him. He meant no good for the party,” Lawal added.