Osun 2022: APC structures solid to win Guber election — Senate spokesman

…As friends obtain nomination form for Oyetola re-election

By Joel Oladele-Abuja

The Senate Spokesman Senator Ajibola Bashir said the structures of All Progressives Party (APC) is strong enough to win the July 22,2022 Guber election for Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

Senator Bashir spoke yesterday when he led a group of Oyetola friends to the Party secretariat in Abuja to obtain his reelection form.

The group identified as Friends of Governor Oyetola was at the national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC on Tuesday to obtain nomination forms for the incumbent governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, for his re-election

Bashir said the group hinged their support for Oyetola on his excellent performance and added that re-electing him is the only way to appreciate his good works in the state

Addressing journalists after obtaining the nomination form, he said the governor has declared his intention to seek re-election at the maiden meeting of the traditional council in Osun state held last week

Answering the question on whether what can be described as battle of supremacy going on between Governor Oyetola and his immediate predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola will in any way affect his re-election or not, Bashir said APC, under the leadership of Oyetola remains the party to beat in the State

“I will not reduce the issue of our party to the issue of personality. Political parties are institutions of democracy and they are run on the basis of the structure of the political parties as well as the leaders of the party.

“Today, in  the State of Osun, the highest hierarchy of our party is constituted in what is called Egbe Igbimo agba which is headed by no less person than the founding chairman of our party Baba Bisi Akande and we also have former governors, deputy governors, members of national assembly, current and seasoned politicians in that club. We also have federal constituency structures in all the nine federal constituencies.

“We also have ward executives, local executives and unit executives. So, it’s about structures that win elections and not personality. So we believe that the existing structure of our party is such that the party that is really in existence today is the APC and I will give you statistics.

“Beyond the 2018 election, the first election and the only election that has been conducted under the leadership of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola is the 2019 general elections and I challenge you to go to INEC website to download the results. There are nine federal constituencies in the State of Osun. Our party APC had six out of that nine seats and of course if you do the percentage that is about 65% that’s B plus.

“Then in the Senatorial election in the three Senatorial districts, our party got two out of the three Senatorial districts I think that’s also about 70% and of course in the house of assembly, of the 26 seats we have in Osun, our party had 23 out of the 26 and all of them are still members of our political party. So when you have a political party that has in its fold two senators,  six house of Representatives members and 23 elected State legislators, I don’t think it is beyond any doubt to say the party to beat in the State of Osun is the APC and the leadership of the party has provided structure to ensure that we deliver massively.

“And we also know that the presidential election in  2019, Osun is one of the States that delivered for our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari. So no doubt, the state of our party is strong, vibrant, cohesive and articulate to deliver for the party in the 2022 election,” Bashir said

Reacting to whether he’s worried about the alleged mass defection of APC members to the major opposition in the state, People’s Democratic Party, Bashir said

“There’s nothing like mass defection, in fact if there’s any movement, it is movement towards APC. From what is on ground today, objectively, and you can go and conduct vox pop in the streets of Osun, the party to beat is APC and the aspirant that will get the mandate of APC is Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, no doubt about it.”