The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State, yesterday, deepened, as Mr. Kolapo Alimi, a loyalist of Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, predicted that Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s second term ambition would fail for betraying his predecessor’s trust.
This came on a day the Commissioner of Police, Mr Olawale Olokode, yesterday, warned politicians in the state not to drag the Police Command into bitter politics, saying the force is not an appendage of any political party.
Alimi, who served as commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under Aregbesola, in a viral video recorded at The Osun Progressives, TOP, weekly meeting, held at Oranmiyan House, said for betraying Aregbesola’s effort at ensuring he won the governorship election in 2018 and the subsequent court matters, Oyetola’s ambition to return as governor will not succeed.
In the viral video, Alimi, who spoke in Yoruba, said he suffered during the court cases in Abuja but was also betrayed by Governor Oyetola, hence, every scheme to return to office would be a nullity.
He said: “Oyetola will only succeed in his ambition if he did not betray Aregbesola’s trust and mine towards making him the governor. I know the role that my boss (Aregbesola) played in Oyetola’s emergence and I also contributed to his victory during the litigation.
“During the Supreme Court case, we travelled with our vehicles to Abuja on a journey of over eight hours. We risked our lives on the road, while he boarded a plane. Now, he is repaying us with battle. He is an ingrate. They want us dead; may they never succeed.
“He wants to go for a second term. He will never make it through to clinch the seat. I am not afraid of death. We served Oyetola wholeheartedly but he is paying us with death threats.”
He’s pained for not making cabinet list — APC
But reacting, the Special Adviser to Governor Oyetola on Political Matters, Sunday Akere said Alimi’s vituperation has reflected the pain of a man that was disappointed for not making the present cabinet in the state.
Akere said: “It is unfortunate that Alimi can be fiercely attacking the Governor and the party that made him. If he is not appointed into the cabinet today, he can use the platform for something better rather than becoming a prophet of doom.
“I sympathise with him, but he needs to be part of those building the party, so he can use it for his future political ambition instead of giving up.”
Don’t drag us into your politics, Osun police warn
Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner for Osun State, Mr Olokode said the police in the state have been fair to all factions in the party and petitions submitted, while some are still being investigated.
The APC faction loyal to Aregbesola had last Friday, called for the transfer of the Police Commissioner for allegedly siding Governor Oyetola’s faction of the party to deal with its members, as well as ignoring the group’s various petitions.
But Olokode, who addressed journalists in his office, said: “We want to warn politicians to do their politics without dragging the Force into it. The Osun State Police Command is never and will never be an appendage of any political party or group and our actions and activities have shown such.
“I wish to state that we have been working on every petition received. The latest one, which has to do with the SUBEB Chairman, came to my knowledge recently, and our State Criminal Investigation Department, under a Deputy Commissioner, is seriously working on it. The petitioners came a few days ago, and they were assured of our readiness to get to the root of the matter.
“It is also pertinent to state that the recent attack on some APC members in Ikirun, Ifelodun local government was thoroughly investigated, and those suspected to be behind the crime were arrested. Among those arrested are two members of the TOP group, one from IleriOluwa and two persons who confirmed not to be politicians at all. They were all charged to court, and at no point did my office interfere with the investigation. So there was no persecution or de-humanization at any point.
“I wish to add that no meeting we were invited to and refused to attend.
“I, therefore, want to say that all allegations against me, and the command are fallacies and far from the truth.”
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