Aregbesola In Dilemma, As Osun West Insists On Producing Next Governor

The political game plan to choose who succeeds  Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola as the next Governor of the State of Osun is gathering momentum by the day.

While the incumbent Governor is reportedly and diligently looking for a trusted ally to succeed him, some political bigwigs in the state see this period as a time to pay Aregbesola back for scheming them out since he assumed power especially during his second term in office.

Multiple sources who confided in PM EXPRESS disclosed that the reported crisis and factionalisation in Osun APC were real. It can also be confirmed that the Governor may find it difficult to impose any governorship candidate on the party going by the experience of the last senatorial bye election which saw the candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ademola Adeleke defeating flat down the APC candidate, Mudashiru Hussein. Adeleke defected from the APC to PDP few days to the election.

Politicians from Osun West Senator District have sounded a note of warning, demanding that on no account would they allow any imposition. They also vowed, during a meeting recently held in Iwo, that the next Governor of the State of Osun should come from the district. Apart from this, they were insisting that the preferred candidate from Osun West should be a thoroughbred and grassroots politician from the area not “Ajele” (somebody imported from the outside) as they claimed during the well attended meeting.

“We have learnt our lesson, we won’t allow what happened at the last senatorial bye election to happen again. We strongly advised the party not to field Hussein against Adeleke in the last election. We know the politics of this area, but the party didn’t yield to our advice and today we are licking the wound, ” one of the elders told PM EXPRESS.

” The next Governor must come from Osun West. The Central has produced Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Chief Bisi Akande. Osun East has produced Aregbesola who is now spending eight good years. Any attempt to deny Osun West the opportunity to produce the Governor will be vehemently rejected. What happened in Adeleke vs Hussein election will be child’s play this time around. Let Aregbesola and his kitchen cabinet be warned. ”

PM EXPRESS scooped that Osun West has also scheduled another meeting to on 23rd of September in Ile Igbo where the state chairman of APC, Prince Gboyega Famodun has been invited to address the people. The address, according to sources, may not affect the position and the agenda of the district.

Another intrigue which is set to play out in the quest to succeed Aregbesola in Osun state is the factor of Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon Lasun Yusuf, who though is presently representing Irepodun/Osogbo Federal Constituency, is targeting to contest for the governorship election from Osun West. Lasun is claiming that he is from Woru village in Egbedore Local Government, one of the local government areas in Osun West. Woru is a village where his father is currently the Baale.

“Lasun is currently moving fast, courting people from all divides. He has been romancing both APC and PDP people. I must confess, he is gaining popularity by the day. This man may be unstoppable, ” PM EXPRESS was told last weekend in Osogbo during routine chats with some politicians.

But Lasun may find it difficult to achieve his ambition from Osun West as some politicians are claiming that he cannot from being a Representative of Osun Central at the same time and trying to pick governorship ticket from the West as if the State of  Osun has turned to Lagos where anything goes.

Why is Aregbesola is said to be worried? PM EXPRESS ‘ findings revealed that the Governor’s preferred candidate, his Chief of Staff, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, who is a cousin to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may not fly in the prevailing scenario. Aregbesola’ s major concern now is to find a trusted ally among the grassroots politicians in Osun West.

“The Governor cannot trust most of the politicians from Osun West, especially those who are not Ajele. He has also been spending a lot to woo people to his side in the wake of the loss in the last senatorial bye election. He allegedly approved various sums of money to give out as Sallah gifts in the last Ileya.

“The money was given to Ward Congress, Ward Exco, Local Exco, Local Govt Elders, the Obas, Chiefs, Baales, Imams, Markets people, Iyalojas, Motor Park, Okada Riders Korope and Communities. But I must say the money won’t work as people saw it as their own share of national cake from the government, ” one of the sources said.