The battle for the control of the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has taken an unexpected turn as former Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the National Secretary of the Party, Iyiola Omisore, trade blames on the humiliating defeat of the party in the February 25 elections.
Sources withing the party said Omisore, who had taken hold of control of the party since the exit of Oyetola from office last year, has been facing stiff competition from the former governor, who believe he should remain the leader of the party irrespective of his current standing.
The face-off between Omisore and Oyetola has been simmering for some time, but it reached a boiling point after the recent general elections in Osun state, which saw the APC lose all the legislative seats to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Oyetola, who lost also his reelection bid in July 2022, has been widely criticized for the loss, and some party members have accused him of failing to support the party during the last elections.
Omisore, who is widely seen as a political heavyweight in Osun state, has been vocal in his criticism of Oyetola’s leadership and has called for a change in strategy to ensure that the APC does not lose its grip on the state. According to sources close to Omisore, he believes that the party needs to do more to connect with the people at the grassroots level and address their concerns.
However, Oyetola has pushed back against Omisore’s criticism and has accused him of being disloyal to the party. Oyetola has also suggested that Omisore’s comments are driven by his own political ambitions and that he is using the party’s recent losses as a way to advance his own agenda.
To pave way for Oyetola’s intention, one of the source noted that the former governor had capitalized on the poor showing of the APC in the presidential and national assembly elections, to make case that Omisore is incapable of leading the party to match the PDP to those who matters in the PDP.
The face-off between Omisore and Oyetola has caused a rift within the APC in Osun state and has led to calls for Omisore’s resignation by some party members. Oyetola’s loyalists said that Omisore’s comments have undermined the party’s efforts to win back the trust of the people and that he should step down from his position as National Secretary.
The situation in Osun state remains fluid, and it is unclear how the party will move forward. Some party members have suggested that Oyetola should step down as the leader of the party in the state, while others have called for a more conciliatory approach to resolving the differences between the two factions.
For now, the APC in Osun state is grappling with a crisis that threatens to tear it apart. The face-off between Omisore and Oyetola is a reminder of the challenges facing the party as it seeks to regain its footing in the state, and it remains to be seen whether the party will be able to find a way to reconcile its differences and move forward in time for the coming state House of Assembly election.
