Parallel Congress Likely In Osun APC

•As Oyetola’s Camp Adopts Consensus, Aregbesola Group Plans To Vote

GBENGA OTI

OSOGBO

As the All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its local government congress today across the 774 local government councils of the federation, indications have emerged that there is likely to be a parallel congress in the Osun State Chapter of the party.

Investigations conducted by Saturday INDEPENDENT revealed that the party had been factionalised into two different camps with Governor Oyetola’s campaign organisation leading one, while members of the party is allegedly loyal to the immediate past Governor and now Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola otherwise called The Osun Progressives (TOP) are behind the second camp.

While Oyetola’s political camp had adopted a consensus approach to elect party leaders, Aregbesola’s camp insisted that there must be a vote and enjoined all members of the group to file out to cast their vote for their chosen leaders in the local government congress.

It would be recalled that a similar thing happened during the 332-ward congress held recently. Though the aggrieved camp had issued petitions to the Appeal Committee instituted by the party leadership for the purpose, but as at the time of filing this report, nothing has been done or heard over the petitions.

Those that emerged during the ward congress from Oyetola’s camp were on Friday inaugurated at the party secretariat under heavy security.

The spokesperson of the Aregbesola’s camp and Chairman of TOP, Reverend Adelowo Adebiyi while addressing weekly meetings of the caucus on Thursday appealed to members of the group to turn out en masse and vote for their chosen leaders.

Adebiyi however admonished members of the APC and those of TOP, in particular, to be peaceful and orderly “notwithstanding whatever provocation brought to them”.

Adebiyi, who noted that the Osun Progressives had fulfilled all righteousness to qualify its members to participate in today’s local government congress, said he was convinced that all the candidates of TOP would emerge victorious in the exercise.