The Special Adviser to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola on Political Affairs, Oluomo Sunday Akere, has reacted to the claim by members of The Osun Progressives, TOP, that the governor was playing politics of segregation, saying it was not true.
He said TOP members are only trying to be mischievous, insisting that they started the crisis.
Akere who was the Chairman, Osun APC Congress Planning Committee said further that meetings leading to the Congress were held at the party Secretariat, they did not come, congress were held, they stayed away.
He said: “Before Governor Adegboyega Oyetola formed his cabinet, there was no caucus or crisis anywhere, because they hoped to make the cabinet. However, it is not every member of the party that would make it to the cabinet. There are many other positions that could go round. Immediately cabinet was formed, many of them begin to attack government and its policies on social media.
“Also, they accused the Governor of reversing some of the policies of the previous administration to spite his predecessor, but Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola had during his last public interaction programme told the whole world that he cannot be perfect whatever need to be adjusted would be done by his successor.
“When the committee that recommended the review of education policy was formed, the Chairman, Professor Olu Aina, met with former Governor Aregbesola and briefed him of their objectives to which Aregbesola gave his blessings. And as we are all aware that some of the education policy formed a major problem for stakeholders in the education sector and they all demanded for a review. The people also demanded for a review during the Governor’s ‘Thank You Tour’ and which the Governor gracefully agreed to after professionals in the sector sat over the issues and made recommendations.
“Initially, the group was campaigning against the party Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun, only for them to begin to spread that Governor Oyetola would be given Ambode treatment, infact, they coin the term, ‘Ambode Osun’, so, who will sit back and allow some individuals take party structures from him? Ogbeni was Governor here for eight years, he did not accommodate a second opinion from anyone in the party, including Elders Caucus.
“Many of them that were party exco before the congress, jettisoned their responsibility, abandoned the secretariat and when congress committee arrived the state, they were nowhere to be found, yet, they claimed they were not carried along.
“They also claimed to want reconciliation, yet, they instituted cases against the party, they refused to withdraw the cases, yet, they wanted the Governor, who was nominated into the National Convention Committee to resign, which is impossible.
“The fact is that many of them have been hobnobbing with opposition party in the state and we are aware that money have exchanged hands, so, if they are truly interested in reconciliation and want an end to the crisis, they should not run from a roundtable discussion.
“They know that the resolution reached at Ila at Chief Adebisi Akande’s country home was ignored by TOP leader and sponsor, Ogbeni Aregbesola, every agreement reached at one of the meetings, where Ogbeni acted as the Secretary was jeopardised by him and his followers.
“For us, the Governor is not against reconciliation, he has said that many times and we also tried to reach out to some of them. But I am certain that those who are genuinely progressive would approach the roundtable at the appropriate time while those that have made up their mind would join the party they are hobnobbing with“.
