The Chairman of The Osun Progressives (TOP), a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Hon. Rasaq Salinsile, has blamed the Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and the APC Chairman , Prince Gboyega Famodun for the party’s defeat in the recently concluded Osun State guber polls
Salinsile was reacting to allegation that its members were responsible for the defeat of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
He noted that Oyetola and the APC Chairman , Prince Gboyega Famodun, cheaply delivered victory to the Peoples Democratic Party in the July 16 governorship election.
Salinsile, who spoke at a news conference on Wednesday in Osogbo, charged Oyetola and Famodun with intentionally weakening the Osun APC by wishing away grassroots organizers and “dogged-handlers” who have been bringing victories to the party since 2007.
Salinsile claimed that Oyetola and Famodun’s inaction and impunity on party matters caused the complete breakdown of the APC’s victorious infrastructure and its ultimate defeat in the governorship race.
He urged the party’s national secretariat to swiftly rebuild Osun APC, stressing that doing so is the only way to restore the party’s winning capacity in time for the general elections of 2023.
The former Chief of Staff to the governor said it is unfortunate that both Famodun and Oyetola wanted to dislodge genuine progressives in the party with paperweight politicians who could not win their units, wards and local government.
Salinsile absolved members of The Osun Progressives from the allegations that they worked against APC and mobilised voters for Sen. Ademola Adeleke, the Governor-elect.
He said Famodun’s inability to manage the party because of his selfish interest is responsible for the APC’s electoral misfortune.
This is just as he said Oyetola and Famodun are in the process of ‘finishing’ the Osun APC because of their fresh plan to suspend leaders of TOP and others who have different views from theirs.
“Let me quickly note that they are up at harms to finish Osun APC with an instruction to ward chairmen to start suspension of members of TOP from the APC”, he said.
The text of the press conference partly reads: “Towards 2022, the party got divided into two with the former and incumbent governors leading the two caucuses. Famodun felt so comfortable to side with one of them and make the enemy of the other because of lucre-immediate gain.
“Then we went to election and lost scandalously, even in our traditional safe constituencies and he start looking for a scapegoat. Famodun is to be told that he is an original failure and should be so told.
“The TOP which Famodun is trying to blame had offered to help him in resolving the matters that is affecting the party but his penchant for avarice, greed and corruption will not allow him to see reason.
“May we ask Famodun, is it the TOP leaders and members who he described as rebels, insignificant, not popular at home, not core politicians, etc that suddenly, in his warped thinking, become strong enough to win an election against him and his almighty government?
“It is only a warped and a heretical thinking that has brought Famodun to that inebriated conclusion. Is it TOP that make Famodun and other cabinet members lose in their various wards and local governments?
“We take Boluwaduro local government for particular example, with very small voters registration but with Famodun, three cabinet members and head of a powerful agency in town, the APC lost. Could that be the work of TOP? For those who operates a bad system, they will never see anything wrong in it until it crashes.
“Putting a lie to Famodun’s allegation are tones of abuses and curses that are placed on the leadership of Governor Oyetola and kitchen cabinet by members of the IleriOluwa camp who felt let down by the outcome of the election and the flippant manners their advice to resolve the obvious crisis in the party were treated.
“The contents of those voice notes should be more than enough for modest and reasonable person to bury their heads in shame.”
Salinsile said both Oyetola and Famodun are responsible for the defeat suffered by the APC in the governorship election.
“The duo of Governor Oyetola and Prince Famodun have definitely fulfilled their wishful mission to bring APC down in Osun.
“The National Secretariat has a duty not to wait any longer. The wall of Jericho has fallen with Famodun’s confession and Osun APC should undergo immediate re-organisation, rebooting, re-energising for greater future performances”, said Salinsile.