APC May Lose 2022 Osun Guber Poll, Chieftain Warns

A warning has gone to the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Osun State not to deny Osun West Senatorial District from fielding candidate for the position of governor in the forthcoming gubernatorial election which holds next year.

The incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola is from Osun Central Senatorial District, who is spending his first term in office. while the immediate past governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who spent two terms of eight years in office is also from Osun Central.

Members of the party from Osun West had been clamouring for their turn to present a governorship candidate even in 2018 when Oyetola scaled the hurdles to pick the ticket of the APC for the election which he narrowly won.

With another election coming next year, Comrade Yahaya Majeed, one of the party chieftains, who comes from Osun West, wanted the party to thread the path of caution not to disappoint members from his senatorial district this time around.

Comrade Yahaya, a former state executive member of Osun APC also warned the party of the danger in the polarisation of Osun APC into different groups as a result of crisis and injustice going on in the party, adding that this may lead to lost of 2022 governorship election.

Speaking further, the renowned activist said for our party to sustain its winning streak, it must adjust itself to the reality on grounds. “The reality on ground is that Osun West Senatorial District must produce the next governor of the state come 2022,” he warned.

He was emphatical that the incumbent governor, Oyetola should not present himself for re-election if he really has the interest of the state in mind.

The accountant trained politician said he based his warning to Osun APC on a recent survey conducted the result of which was not palatable.

“Yes, the result of the survey conducted by our Team shows that the electorates will still go for Osun West candidates from different political parties. If you do analysis of the results of the last governorship election, you will see that the issue of zoning played a vital role, in fact, we lost in the first round, only for the rerun to save the day for us.

“We know our close rival, PDP will pick their candidate from Osun West, so, for us to be at the comfort zone, APC needs to look at its back and take its candidate from the West.

While reminded that the elders and leader of party have adopted the present Governor, Oyetola as their candidates for 2022 election, Comrade Yahaya described the adoption in Nigeria politics as boys must eat thing,, adding that “we are talking about the interest of our party here not person, in 2015 if PDP and then president Goodluck Jonathan faced the reality on ground that their sponsored adoptions across the country would not save them from Buhari and APC tsunami, they would have settled for a good candidate from the North to tackle Buhari’s political movement, but today, the rest is history. They are no more in power and they are in better position to tell you the different.

“You should ask the adopters where were they when we narrowly escaped defeat, 97% of people who were with the Governor now could not deliver their polling units not to talk of their wards, anyway truth is bitter. I am very sure if the worse happens, everyone will go back to his or her house and wait for the next four years, but my prayer is that it won’t happened,” he said.

When asked what Osun APC is doing to resolve crisis and complaints in the wake of the appointment of local government caretaker committees by Governor Oyetola, Comrade Yahaya said: “Politics itself is management of crisis that may arise from allocation of scarce resources and positions, as it may be, we need to congratulate those who emerged, but the truth of it is that it has divided party members more than before due to perceived injustice from contestant that lost out. If I am the governor, I would have conducted the local government election than handpicked people, at least that would have given a little bit of justice

Comrade Yahaya won\t agree with the rumours that former Governor Rauf Aregbesola had factionalized the party into two with ex- state chairman, Elder Adelowo as the chairman.

“Such a thing will never happen in our party, Prince Gboyega Famodun is still the state chairman of the party. Adelowo’s group from their press release said they are advancing the progress of the party which to me make sense and show loyalty to the party. Our own group is also working to achieve that and we hope to work with any group or individual that our interest is aligned for the progress of our party,: he said.