•We’re open for collaboration, says Aregbesola
Following Sunday’s announcement by former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola and his group, Omoluabi Progressives, to quit the All Progressives Congress (APC), the state chapter of the party has welcomed the move, describing the development as a good riddance to bad rubbish.
It noted that Aregbesola, who is also the immediate past Minister of Interior and his splinter group, had discreetly left the APC over three years ago, stressing that, “the preposterous announcement of the so-called Omoluabi Progressives to quit the APC is a good riddance to bad rubbish.”
In a statement issued yesterday by APC’s Director of Media and Information in Osun, Kola Olabisi, the party submitted: “We are not perturbed by the announcement of the group to quit the mainstream of the party in the state, which they had left since 2022.”
The Omoluabi Progressives, in a statement, issued by its Publicity and Organising Secretary, Abosede Oluwaseun, on Sunday night, announced its exit from the mainstream APC in Osun State.
REACTING, a party chieftain, Mr Sunday Akere, yesterday, maintained that the development would make the opposition party stronger and better positioned for future challenges.
Akere, who was Commissioner for Information and Strategy during Aregbesola’s regime, observed that the presence of the splinter group was a big distraction to the state APC.
Speaking to The Guardian in Osogbo, the ex-commissioner said, “The purported exit of the so-called Omoluabi Progressives from Osun APC is good riddance to bad rubbish.”
BUT Aregbesola has stated that his group was open to political parties for support.
In a statement by the Organising and Publicity Secretary of the group, Aregbesola was quoted as saying the caucus has the number and strength for political, religious, or socio-cultural collaborations.
The group announced its withdrawal from the APC, citing ostracisation, suspension and expulsion of its leaders “without fair hearing, and the continuous denigration” of its structure, among other issues.
Addressing members of the caucus, Aregbesola commended them for their commitment and steadfastness to the principles of character, integrity, and good governance.
He affirmed the resolution, noting that “it is time to work aggressively for the success of Omoluabi Progressives and its vision to entrench good governance in Osun.