New developments have emerged in the ongoing power struggle between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Osun State government over the withheld local government allocation.
It was learnt that more plans are afoot by the APC top shots to enable the sacked APC chairmen to become beneficiaries of the withheld funds.
This is just as more details have emerged on why the rumoured defection of the Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to the APC failed to materialise with the finger of suspicion pointing at the group loyal to the Minister of Blue Economy, Mr Gboyega Oyetola.
The plans by the Osun APC caucus, it was learnt, were hatched at a closed-door stakeholders’ meeting involving the party’s leaders in and outside Osun State which was said to have been held at the instant of the minister on Friday evening at the Ilerioluwa House, Ogo Oluwa in Osogbo.
Though the agenda of the meeting, it was disclosed further, was to map out strategies on how the APC can win Osun State during the 2026 and 2027 elections, other issues like the rumoured defection of Adeleke, the withheld state’s LG allocations as well as how the sacked APC chairmen could become beneficiaries of the withheld allocations were discussed.
At the meeting, some disclosures on the efforts and actions taken so far to win the forthcoming elections were allegedly made by a top leader, which some rumoured to be the minister.
The efforts include the personal action taken to block Governor Adeleke from joining the APC, the assurance that the president will win the state without the Adelekes, securing cooperation necessary establishment that would guarantee federal might ahead of 2026, the stopping of federal obedience of court ruling favourable to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the local government leadership, and the vow to continue to withhold Osun allocations if it cannot be paid to the APC council chairmen.
Multiple top sources inside the meeting revealed that details of how the party hoped to win 2026 elections and efforts being made to mobilise available human and material resources to ensure victory for the party.
An influential leader of the party, it was learnt, attributed the loss of APC in the governorship election in 2022 to the refusal of the now late President Muhammadu Buhari to direct security agencies and the electoral commission to support the APC.
While the support the influential member referred to was not clear, he was quoted further to have affirmed that the situation would be different in 2026 as the APC leadership was ready to ensure victory.
It was also revealed at the meeting to the APC caucus that contrary to other reports, Governor Adeleke was deliberately blocked from joining APC by Oyetola.
According to the insiders’ sources, Oyetola was said to have explained to he gathering how he secured the understanding of President Tinubu by assuring him that the APC can win Osun for him without Governor Adeleke.
Part of the winning plan, it was said, was already put in motion with the impasse over the withheld allocations to the state’s local government and the attempt by the powers that be to turn the grassroots against Adeleke.
It will be recalled that contrary to general legal opinions that affirmed the Appeal Court ruling to be in favour of the Osun State government, the Federal Government has continued to withhold allocations to the state’s local governments, an issue political stakeholders have continued to disavow as executive impunity.
Though it has not yet been revealed how it will be done, the top party leader allegedly told the gathering that some top legal officers have been engaged to look for legal loopholes to allow the payment to be made to the state APC LG chairmen sacked by the court.
Those reportedly present at the meeting were Hon. Wole Oke who recently defected from the PDP to APC and some party gubernatorial contenders like Senator Babajide Omoworare, Kunle Rasheed Adegoke (K-RAD), Senator Dotun Babayemi, Senator Mudasiru Hussain, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji and others.
Senator Omoworare, who spoke on behalf of other governorship contenders, said they would all work to ensure the party’s victory at the poll and appreciated Oyetola for sparing his time to address them.
