The struggle for ministerial seat: Who the cap fits
By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
As May 29, 2023 is drawing nearer to usher in new president to lead the much anticipated renewed hope government, political gladiators across the six geo-political zones are already working round the clock to ensure that their nominees are part of the cabinet of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu’s federal administration.
The President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is scheduled to succeed outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, was declared the president-elect under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) after polling 8,794,726 votes to win the 2023 presidential election, defeating Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).
The victory of President-elect, Bola Tinubu also influenced APC to retain its position as the ruling party at Central level after losing some Governors and lawmakers to the People Democratic Party, (PDP) and Labour Party (LP).
In Osun State, South West of Nigeria, following the 2022 July 16 governorship election, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola lost the seat to then the main opposition party (PDP).
Osun APC lost the governorship seat to the PDP due to intra-party crisis that ensued between the loyalists of the former Osun State Governor who served for eight years and currently the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola with Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola over who is in charge of controlling the affairs of the party organs in the state.
Up till date, APC in Osun is yet to heal from the wound it suffered from the last gubernatorial election when APC again lost 25 seats of the Osun State House of Assembly out of 26 seats to PDP and also failed to win a seat for the National Assembly in 2023 general elections.
But in his efforts to reposition the after, on May 1, 2023, the immediate past Governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola inaugurated an 11-man Committee with the mandate to stimulate, revamp, restructure and reposition the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State.
The setting up of the Committee was conceptualised after a series of meetings held between Oyetola and all strata of the party, including the Igbimo Agba, the leadership of the party, critical stakeholders and the youth, to chart a new course for the APC in the State.
Inaugurating the Committee in Osogbo, the former Governor said Osun remains the home of the Progressives in the South West, hence the need for the APC members in the State to take necessary and decisive steps to reposition the party and make it stronger and more formidable.
Oyetola noted that statistics had in recent times, raised the party high in performance as reflected in the significant increment in the number of votes recorded by the party from various elections since 2018.
The newly inaugurated Committee which is chaired by the former Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole has former Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Rasak Adeosun as its Secretary. Other members of the Committee are State APC Treasurer, Hon. Femi Kujembola; Prince Kunle Ayantoye ;Hon. Mudasiru Toogun; Hon. Ipoola Binuyo; Hon. Emmanuel Folorunsho; Hon. Akintunde Adegboye; Hon. Bade Falade; Hon. Idowu Falade; Hon. Gbenga Oladehinde and Hon. Olasunkanmi Akinola.
The Committee’s Terms of Reference, according to Oyetola are: to review activities of the party in recent times; consider the aspect of party administration, i.e structure, funding, discipline and reconciliation; make recommendations for an ethical reward system in the State.
Others are: to create a blueprint for the future of the party in Osun State; propose templates for resolving existing or future grievances among party members and any other matter that can assist the growth and development of the party.
The committee has eight weeks to submit its report. Oyetola said the Committee has the liberty to co-opt any member of the party it deems essential to the task given to it.
Speaking further, the ex-Governor averred that consistent credible performance of the APC in past elections was a clear indication that the party remains the popular choice of the electorate and the party to beat anytime, any day in Osun.
“After the 2018 governorship election, the outcome of the 2019 general elections showed significant improvement in the party’s fortunes in our State.
“Despite the challenges of the July 16 2022, governorship election, the number of votes harvested by our party in that election significantly improved from what we recorded in 2018. This clearly shows that our party, the APC is still popular and remains the party to beat in Osun, any time, any day.
“Osun electorate again demonstrated their love for the APC in the last Presidential election as they gave our president-elect 343,945 votes, despite the intimidation, violence and killings that characterised that election,” he said.
Committee On The Repositioning Of Osun APC; Submission of memoranda
The Professor Isaac Adewole – led Committee, set up to reposition the Osun APC, hereby invites interested stakeholders and members of the party to submit written memoranda for consideration by the committee.
The memoranda should contain ideas, suggestions and strategies that could assist the work of the Committee in its assignment of repositioning the party for good governance, effective delivery and preparation for future elections.
Written memoranda which should be addressed to the Secretary of the Committee can be hand-delivered to the APC Secretariat, Ogo Oluwa, Osogbo, while soft copy can be forwarded to: [email protected]. by Hon. Rasaki Adeosun, Secretary of the Committee.
The APC loyalists in the state have been clamoring for re-organisation of the party to stand on its fit again. They charged the stakeholders in the party to support the leaders of the party in the state to repositioning APC and come out stronger in the future elections.
If the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Osun State will be sincered with its repositioning of the party, it has to start its repositioning with the ministerial nominee by nominate someone with high pedigree who has unquestionable character that would put love of the party and its members before any other things when get to office.
The struggle for the Ministerial office must be between people loved individuals who are easy to access to be the rekindling of hope for the party and its members in Osun.
