Aregbesola’s loyalists weigh three options after leaving APC

LOYALISTS of a former governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola are reportedly considering three options following their decisions, at the weekend, to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Acting under the aegis the Omoluabi Progressives, they announced the resolution to quit the APC after a stakeholders’ meeting held in Ilesa, due to various reasons, including ostracisation from the APC, suspension and expulsion of the leaders of the group with fair hearing and continuous denigration of the structures of the APC.

Top on the three options being under considered by the loyalists is reconciliation as they said they have not shut the door to open discussion with the other tendencies over contentious issues that caused schism, disaffection and frustration that has led to the eventual resolution of the caucus to quit the APC.

In other words, his loyalists have not foreclosed reconciliation, in spite of the long-drawn battle of the caucus with a rival camp of the APC in Osun State.

The second option said to be on the card of the loyalists is the possibility of teaming up with other like minds to form a new party with national spread ahead of the next general election in the country.

The third option, the Nigerian Tribune learnt, on Monday, is for Aregbesola to lead his loyalists into one of the existing relatively feasible political parties that has a promising future and shares values espoused by the Omoluabi Progressives.

The caucus is said to be part of an ongoing massive national movement aimed at building a formidable platform with capacity and pedigree capable of challenging the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the poll.

The caucus dismissed the statement issued by the Osun APC that the party would not miss the loyalists of the former governor, saying those behind the statement are inconsequential.

Wide-ranging issues, including mutual distrust, betrayal and blackmail, as well as matters bordering on ambition and ego on the part of gladiators in the two tendencies are said to be major factors behind the protracted cold war.

According to the source, Aregbesola and two other close allies of Tinubu then the APC national Leader, were chosen as ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari without the input of the incumbent President.

The feud, which a source said dates back 2019, was exacerbated by the politics of appointments, when the APC became the ruling party in the country, with some external forces moving against the main power bloc that worked to guarantee APC massive votes in the South-West.

According to the source, several attempts were made by some concerned stakeholders in the APC from the South-West to settle the perceived rift between the ex-governor and President Bola Tinubu.

The source said efforts were actually made at least four times to facilitate the process of reconciliation and peace deal to no avail.

Recall that Aregbesola served as the Commissioner for Works in Lagos State, when Tinubu was the governor of the state.

The Omoluabi Progressives was launched in August 2023 and the stakeholders’ meeting held on Sunday was attended by members drawn from the 332 wards of Osun.

Aregbesola, a top notch in the APC, served as governor of Osun from 2010 to 2018, and minister of interior from 2019 to 2023.

The spokesperson of the group, Abosede Oluwaseun, said the members resolved to quit APC because of “ostracisation from the party, suspension and expulsion of leaders without fair hearing, and continuous denigration of the structure.”

Oluwaseun, who said the members, expressed their readiness to join another political party ahead of the 2026 Osun governorship election.

Ex-governor, while addressing the stakeholders, was quoted to have told his loyalists that it is time to work “aggressively” to entrench good governance in Osun.

“The path we have toed is a smooth path, highly reassuring and full of good tides that will propel our dear state to greatness,” Aregbesola said.

“Therefore, you must show more commitment and attract genuine people who are ready to walk this path of righteousness with us. We are open to all regardless of political, religious, or socio-cultural leanings. We have the numbers, strength, and political acumen to provide a leadership that will make Osun the toast of its peers. By the grace of God, we shall succeed.”

On January 8, a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai and allies of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, met behind closed doors with the leadership of the Social Democratic Party in Abuja at the party national secretariat. Also at the meeting was a former Chief Security Officer to the late Gen Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (retd) and Atiku’s former spokesman, Otunba Segun Showunmi.

Showunmi, confirmed the meeting in a Facebook post, described it as a “strategic gathering,” convened by SDP chairman, Shehu Gabam, to evaluate the state of opposition politics in Nigeria.

Recently, some politicians under the Coalition of United Political Parties and the SDP explained there are not averse to the formation of an alliance beyond the initiated touted move by Atiku and Obi to work together.

Besides, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, hosted a former governor of Kano State, Dr Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso, and ex-governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, with Kwankwaso, disclosing that the discussions centred on “significant national issues, including the future of politics and governance in Nigeria.”

It will also be recalled that a former Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman, in an open letter titled ‘Satanic Leadership and Nigeria’s Boiling Point,’ had called on Obasanjo to lead efforts to unify opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.

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