Ex-Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Monday, inaugurated an 11-man committee for the repositioning of the All Progressives Congress in the state, noting that decisive steps must be taken to reorganise the party.
Oyetola, while addressing party leaders and loyalists at the inauguration of the committee held at the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office, Osogbo, also said the party must not overlook excesses of those members that created challenges for it in the last governorship and general elections.
Among others, Oyetola charged the committee, led by a former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, to review activities of the party in recent times, consider the aspect of party administration, make recommendations for an ethical reward system in Osun State and propose templates for resolving existing or future grievances among party members.
Oyetola added, “Before today’s event, I had held a series of meetings with 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 Osun. It was the outcomes of those meetings that informed the setting up of this committee.
“If the Osun electorate could identify with us despite the intimidation, harassments, violence and killings perpetrated by the PDP, then, we must brace up to sustain the interest of the Osun people in our party.
“To do that, we must also not gloss over some of the challenges caused by the excesses of some members of the party, some leaders and elected officials. Hence, the inauguration of this committee.”
Reacting to the move to reposition APC in Osun, leader of the Osun APC members loyal to former governor Rauf Aregbesola, Lowo Adebiyi, welcomed the move, but listed conditions that must be met before Aregbesola’s supporters would appear before the panel.
Adebiyi said, “It is a welcome development but we are not aware. It is a good thing, if they think it is now time to reposition the party, we are still in the APC, but we are not aware and not involved in the committee issue.”
Asked if Aregbesola’s men would appear before the committee, Adebiyi further said, “How do we appear before the committee? Is that a panel to probe us? If they feel like coming to us, we will let them know the way forward, but we will not appear before them, it is not possible.
