By Jeleel Olawale
The removal of all paraphernalia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the campaign office of former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola has sent shivers across political gladiators in the state.
Political analysts anticipate the former Governor’s next move noting that this may be a sequence to many surprising events that may unfold in the build up to the Osun 2026 gubernatorial elections.
The campaign office which is domiciled inside the four-storey building at Ayinke Towers, rechristened Oranmiyan House is located along the Gbongan-Ibadan road in Osogbo, the state capital.
The highrise building served as Aregbesola’s campaign office and later the office of The Osun Progressives, TOP, before its dissolution in 2022.
The white-coloured building which hitherto wore the colours of APC and with several poles bearing flags of the party and the National flags adorning its frontage, has been given a distinctly new look.
This development is coming as preparations are being set in motion for the 2026 gubernatorial election in the state.
The insignia and identity of APC and the gigantic photos of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor and later APC National Chairman, Bisi Akande and the ex-President Muhammadu Buhari which formerly adorned the building have been removed.
It was observed that they have been replaced with equally large size images of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the late Chief Bola Ige and with the former Minister of Interior, Raid Aregbesola’s picture inserted in the middle.
Also, the huge inscription of the APC logo has finally been replaced with that of the Omoluabi Progressive Caucus.
It was gathered that the same remodelling was carried out at Aregbesola’s campaign office in his Ilesa hometown.
Reacting to the development, a member of the Omoluabi Progressive Caucus in Ilesa, Kazeem Olanrewaju said, they are trying to return to the progressive ideas that led to the creation of the APC.
Olanrewaju posited that, “Tinubu and Akande have both derailed from the progressive ideas, saying the progressive politics which started with Awolowo and Bola Ige, is not about power, but about about impacting lives.”
He condemned Tinubu’s government for having “no achievement in a year of running Nigeria. What is progressive about running Nigeria for a year without achievement.”
Olanrewaju, however, assured that the APC logos and banners would be brought back later.
In his words: “We will bring back banners later.”
Aregbesola fell out with Tinubu following his outburst against the president in January 2022.
He was also observed to be visibly absent during all the APC rallies across the country before the 2023 presidential election.