The loyalists of ex-minister Rauf Aregbesola have disowned members who accepted appointments to serve under the Governor Ademola Adeleke-led People Democratic Party’s administration.
This was made known in a statement by the chairman of the defunct faction, ‘The Osun Progressive’, Adelowo Adebiyi, in a statement on Thursday, renaming their faction within the All Progressives Congress in the state to the ‘Omoluabi caucus’.
He announced the dissolution of their members, numbering about seventy-nine, who were appointed by Governor Ademola Adeleke as caretaker committee members for Local Government Areas across the state.
Aregbesola’s loyalists had opposed the reelection of ex-governor Adegboyega Oyetola under the faction within the APC named The Osun Progressives.
The faction was dissolved in December 2023 by one of their leaders, who is the former speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salam.
In the statement, the chairman of the defunct faction said, “We wish to state that whosoever has been appointed into political offices by Adeleke’s administration got such, practically on his or her individual’s connection and influence, and not on behalf of Omoluabi or as compensation for the defunct The Osun Progress (TOP) or Omoluabi caucus.
“We restated unequivocally that at no time did the defunct TOP enter into any agreement with the PDP to work for it, which might warrant the erroneous compensation as being falsely spread by the mischief makers. Those who feel strongly about their individual interests couldn’t be stopped from pursuing them, hence the situation whereby some of them accepted to serve in the PDP government.
Adebiyi added, “We restate our commitment to the APC. On behalf of our Patron, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, we thank all those who have been steadfast and absolutely loyal within our tendency and urge all members to start the mobilisation work of politicians and voters in earnest for the APC, our party, ahead of future elections.”