Osun APC In Crisis, Largest Ward Factionalised 

 

A crisis currently engulfing one of the wards in one of the local government areas of the state may have adverse effects on the fortune of the party in the forthcoming governorship election which holdsi next year.

P.M.EXPRESS’ investigations revealed that Sagba/Abogunde ward, in Ede North Local Government, which happens to be the largest ward in Osun state with no fewer than 22 polling units,  is currently enmeshed in crisis following internal bickering and the action of some leaders within the local government and outside the council area.

Recently,  APC lost the rerun senatorial election to the  opposition party, People’s Democratic Party  (PDP)  after the death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke of the APC. His brother,  Ademola Adeleke defected  to PDP few days to the election,  and in a wide margin of 31,000 votes,  he defeated the APC  candidate, Senator Mudasiru Hussein. Surprisingly, the  hometown of the late Isiaka Adeleke,  Ede, produced 28,000 votes  out of the  31, 000 votes.

Sagba/Abogunde, which is the centre of the storm,  always produced the highest number of votes in any election.  Sagba/Abegunde interestingly is the ward of the late Isiaka Adeleke, his billionaire  brother,  Deji, present Senator,  Ademola and former House of Representatives  member,  Barrister Tajudeen Ajagbe.

 Also  in this ward is National Youth leader of Coalition of APC Support Groups  in Nigeria and former member of state executive of APC in Osun,  Comrade Yahaya Majeed. Ede in particular has two  time Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly,  Barrister Adejare Bello, former National Auditor of the defunct All Nigerian People Party (ANPP),  Alhaji Sule Alao and a host of others.

The crisis arose when some PDP members who followed the late Isiaka Adeleke to APC  in 2014 (the decampees) were accused of anti party in the last senatorial election. Some loyal members of the APC in the ward accused them of openly  campaigning for PDP in the last election. To the surprised of many, some of the leaders in the local government are allegedly protecting those members who did the  anti party activities.

The Executive Secretary of Ede North local government, Hon Daodu Akinloye  was alleged to be biased in his dealings with the loyal members who were nicknamed ‘majeyagbe’  (meaning those whose suffering are not in vain).

One of the loyal members confided in PM EXPRESS that the “authentic list of the board members and ward executives which were signed by Barrister Ajagbe was sidelined by Hon Akinloye. The questions we are asking now are: who is Akinleye working for and who is Akinleye to go to the extent of undermining the authority of our leaders in the ward?”

PM EXPRESS can report that presently,  there are various factions holding ward meeting in different locations waiting to support different governorship   candidates  even  if it is against the wish of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Prominent among the candidate is Mr Lasun Yusuf, the Deputy speaker of Nigerian House of Representatives. It was also gathered that some members of the state council of the State of Osun are also gunning for the soul of the ward ahead of next year’s poll.

Another member who craved for anonymity said that some of Governor Aregbesola’s appointees are full of arrogance and sycophantic behavioural attitude that if not check now can affect the fortune of the party in any election.

Meanwhile, leader of the APC in both Ede North and Ede South Local Governments, Alhaji Sule Alao told PM EXPRESS in a telephone interview that there is no faction in Sagba/Abogunde ward.

 His words: “As far as I’m concerned in politics,  there is bound to be disagreement between people of the same party, but majority always have their ways. I don’t think what’s happening could amount to factionalisation. We have reputable leaders who we have called upon to help meditate in the matter. Even one of them, former House of Representatives member called me on Tuesday morning on the same issue and he agreed to meet me for us to discuss how best we can solve the problem. It is a family matter that we will settle amicably.

“We are going to harmonise all differences because it was just minor differences between members. I want to agree that Sagba/Abogunde is the largest ward in Osun state and we won’t allow anything to jeopardise our future electoral chances.”

The Executive Secretary of Ede North Local Government,  Hon Akinloye corroborated Alhaji Alao, saying that there is no problem in the ward, adding that what seems to be happening was just political bickering among members. He noted that the party leadership in the ward is on top of the situation to resolve the issue.