Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State is yet to declare his interest to seek re-election, but Assistant Editor, ‘Dare Odufowokan, reports that groups and individuals within and outside his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) are daily endorsing him for second term even as ruling party is engulfed by an internal crisis.
Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, is yet to declare his intention to run for a second term during the next governorship election in the state, but prominent political leaders and opinion leaders across the state are already drumming support for the ambition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governor. This is just as the leadership crisis rocking the ruling party in the state refuse to abate. Just last week, the elders caucus of the ruling party in the state waded into the crisis and announced the suspension of a former acting Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Lowo Adebiyi, from its midst.
In a communique issued at the end of the monthly meeting of the caucus and signed by Sola Akinwumi, the chairman of the body, the elders accused Adebiyi of promoting division in the party. Recall that Adebiyi had issued a statement as Chairman of a group known as The Osun Progressives (TOP) appointing Aregbesola as BoT Chairman of the group, a move Osun APC Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun declared as illegal. Members of TOP, who are also chieftains of the ruling party, had been at loggerheads with the leadership of APC, and by extension, the Oyetola administration in the state.
In an unexpected twist, the elders’ caucus passed a vote of confidence on Governor Oyetola’s administration and formally endorsed him for another term in office. “This body passed a vote of confidence in the administration of His Excellency, Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola as Governor of Osun State and to the party leadership under Prince Gboyega Famodun as the State Party Chairman in Osun State. That this body re-affirmed her support for Governor Oyetola’s Second term ambition. The body enjoined every member of our party to remain committed, loyal and resolute towards strengthening of our party in Osun state,” the elders said.
The move, according to observers of the politics of the state, is a direct message to members of the party on the position of the caucus ahead of the 2022 governorship election in Osun state. “Igbimo Agba is more or less the apex leadership of the APC in Osun state. Up unitl this now, the elders have been unaligned in the struggle for the control of the party between the two groups made up of loyalists of the governor and those of his predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola.
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“But with this open endorsement of Oyetola while the Aregbesola camp is still kicking against the governor’s re-election plans, chieftains and members of the APC in the state appeared to have been told in clear terms what the topmost echelon of the party would prefer in 2022. As it is, it will be difficult for any other aspirant to snatch the APC ticket from the grips of the incumbent governor. The Agba Osun’s endorsement will go a long way in ensuring his emergence as the party’s gubernatorial candidate once again,” Comrade Wande Ademiluyi, State Coordinator of the Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) said.
Endorsement galore
The APC elders are not the only one who feels it is time to take a categorical position on the most discussed issue in Osun state for now, Oyetola’s second term ambition. Barely a week after Igbimo Agba Osun’s open endorsement, Oyetola’s bid for a second term in office got another boost, this time, from outside the party. He got the endorsement of members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state. In clear terms, the transport unionists told other politicians eyeing the seat that there is no vacancy in Osun Government House just yet. Thousands of the NURTW members thronged the Mandela Freedom Park in Osogbo to declare their support for the governor, describing him as an extraordinary leader.
Chairman of NURTW in Osun State, Olalekan Folorunso said the union decided to endorse Oyetola after assessing his achievements in the last three years. “The union, at its monthly meeting, highlighted the performance of His Excellency, despite the little resources available to the state, hence our resolve to support our governor to lead the state for another term of four years. This is a bold statement from the Osun State Council of NURTW to always support your programmes and ideas that would bring the State to attain its goals. We also express gratitude to the government of Governor Oyetola, for the necessary recognition accorded our Union as major stakeholders in the Osun project. This is another reason why we are also assuring him of our support.”
The Chairman of the Lagos Council and Vice Chairman of South-West Zone of the Union, MC Oluomo Musiliu Akinsanya, who graced the occasion, appreciated Governor Oyetola’s developmental strides in the state and assured the governor of his readiness to work for his re-election next year. To pundits, the endorsement of the governor by the transporters is a big leap. “We all understand role they play in political mobilization and campaigns. And as a union with members across the length and breadth of the state, an endorsement from the NURTW is worth talking about in s state like Osun,” Ademiluyi posited.
Few months earlier, workers in Osun State openly declared their unflinching support for the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola even as they endorsed him for second term in office. The state workforce also commended Oyetola for his commitment to their welfare and well-being since inception of his administration, describing him as a father. The state chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Jacob Babatunde Adekomi, attributed the successes recorded by the labour movement to the unalloyed support given by the state government in the last two and half years of the present administration.
According to him, Oyetola deserves to be commended in view of his uncommon leadership traits that he has exhibited to turn around the fortunes of the State. Adekomi said despite the global economic quagmire, the Governor had proven his commitment to workers’ welfare as reflected in the fulfillment of his constitutional obligations to workforce. “Your Excellency, the project of Osun is a clarion and divine call to you, you have been given the assignment of bringing succour to Osun people, you have been given the assignment of wiping away tears from the faces of the citizens of the State, you have been given the mandate of putting balm on the sore of the people of the State. You have started well and Almighty God will see you through. Sir, we are partners in progress, together we shall take Osun to higher ground,” Adekomi added.
The State Chairman, Joint Negotiation Council, Comrade Bayo Adejumo, also extolled the leadership quality of Governor Oyetola and reiterated the workers’ commitment to continue to support the administration in the actualisation of its developmental agenda aimed at turning around the fortunes of the State. Announcing the workers’ endorsement of the Governor for a second term, he said “we are solidly behind you for a second term. The decision was necessary in view of the numerous achievements of the administration in the last two and half years particularly the unquantifiable role of the administration to redefine and reinvigorate the civil and public service for the betterment of all categories of workers in the state.”
A couple of days before MC Oluomo stormed Osogbo to be part of NURTW’s public support for Oyetola, APC members in Osogbo/Olorunda, Irepodun, Orolu Federal Constituency had endorsed the governor as the consensus candidate of the party in the 2022 governorship election. The party leaders, who relayed the decision in the constituency through a communique read at a rally in Osogbo, said they had implicit confidence in Oyetola’s unique style of administration, describing his achievements in office as satisfactory.
Reading the communique, the Constituency Chairman and former Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Titi-Laoye Ponnle, noted that the governor has left no one in doubt that he is a purposeful leader who can lead the people of the state to the promise land. “We have implicit confidence in his style of administration and therefore want him to continue till 2026,” she said.
Speaking at the rally, the Chairman, Osun APC Elders’ Forum, Mr. Sola Akinwumi said the Elders were impressed by the superlative performance of the Governor, “this is why all of us, men and women, old and young have resolved that Oyetola must continue beyond 2022. We are preserving our PVC and shall all come out em masse to vote for Oyetola for second term in office,” he said. Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District, Ajibola Basiru narrated that the people of the constituency and the entire electorates in Osun Central Senatorial district were happy and satisfied with Oyetola’s performance.
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), among other groups and stakeholders in the Omoluabi State, had earlier registered their support for the governor to run again. Teachers in Osun State, under the aegis of the NUT had in August endorsed the state governor for a second term in office for prioritization of their welfare and wellbeing. NUT chairman in the state, Comrade Adekomi Kabir who spoke on behalf of the over 11,000 teachers, passed a vote of confidence on the Governor for his socio-economic development of the state and concern for workers’ welfare. “We have seen in him a true leader and he has demonstrated to us that he is a worker-friendly Governor. That is why he has been fulfilling all the promises he made. That is why we are supporting his re-election,” Kabir said.
Challenged
While speaking on the endorsements, Oyetola described the growing public show of support as a challenge for him to do more for the people. He commended all the groups and individuals that have open support for his administration. He pledged that his administration would continue to invest in human and infrastructural development for the benefit of different associations in the state. Oyetola, who described the endorsements as manifestations of good governance that the administration has provided since inception, noted that he would not take it for granted but rather see it as an encouragement to do more for the people of the state.
“I am extremely happy today that a notable Union like NURTW and numerous others have been endorsing our administration. I appreciate you for your solidarity and show of love. As a government, we will never take it for granted. It is always a thing of joy for people to appreciate your little effort. I thank you for appreciating the modest achievements that God has done through our efforts in almost three years. I appeal to you all to go and register and collect your voter’s cards. There is still an opportunity to do so. This is the only power to further prove your support for us, particularly in the next election.
“We are here as a government for all and nothing will stop us from putting the welfare and well-being of our people at the front burner. I am assuring you that we will do more than what we have done. We are constructing several kilometres of roads to change the face of infrastructure and ensure an improved standard of living for all. Our administration is committed to making life easier for all, and that is why we have been running all-inclusive, participatory and government-for-all as reflected in the successes we have recorded so far. We have seen your commitment, support and cooperation so far, and I am assuring you that soon, we will attend to your requests,” he reassured.
A former Commissioner for Education, Mr. Lai Oyeduntan described governor Oyetola as a good administrator, humble, honest and God-fearing, saying.” I’m happy that in the last three years he has not proven otherwise. For us to continue to enjoy the benefits of good governance which this administration represents, we must all prepare to return Governor Oyetola for second term in office. The Governor has performed wonderfully. If you are in doubt, go round the State to confirm the level of infrastructural development across the State. That’s not all, Oyetola is the first Governor to design a programme for the youth and put them in the budget. His achievements cut across all sectors including mining, agriculture and health,” he said.
Speaking on the developments, Osun State APC Caretaker Chairman, Prince Gboyega Fomoodun thanked the people of the state for acknowledging the good work of Oyetola’s administration by endorsing him for a second term. He told all those showing the governor support and others planning to do same to be rest assured that Governor Oyetola’s determination to leave Osun better than he met it is unshaken. “Oyetola is sworn to making Osun a better place to live and work,” he said.
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