Thousands of APC members in Osun State on Saturday will be participating in the primary to pick the governorship candidate of the party for the July poll.
In seeking a second term ticket, incumbent governor Oyetola, will be contending with a former secretary to the state government, Honourable Moshood Adeoti and a former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Representatives, Honourable Yusuf Lasun.
It has been confirmed that the APC national headquarters will send a team to supervise the primary, with Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRasaq AbduRahman reported to have been appointed to lead the team.
The situation is tense in the party, especially because of the open altercations among the loyalists of the leading contestants for the ticket. The loyalists are grouped under separate caucuses: Ileri Oluwa,which is the camp loyal to Governor Oyetola under the chairmanship of Prince Gboyega Famoodu and the supporters of Aregbesola under the aegis of The Osun Progressives (TOP), with Alhaji Rasak Salinsile as its chairman. The candidate of the TOP is the immediate past Sectary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti.
The APC leadership set the stage for tomorrow’s exercise after screening the aspirants in Abuja. Prior the primary, three aspirants obtained nomination form at N20 million and the expression of interest form for N2.5million.
Savouring the euphoria of his success at the screening exercise, Oyetola had, during his campaign for re-election, said his performance in office thus far was enough to ensure his electoral victory at the APC primary and the governorship poll on July 16. “Let me say this, my performance in office in all areas of endeavour, as I speak today, is enough for me to win the party’s primary and the state’s governorship election. By every standard, we have done so well within the last three and half years, and I have been able to justify the confidence reposed in me by the people. I have been very much involved in the party; I’m not a novice when it comes to the issue of party administration,” he said. Oyetola said he did not take the people for granted because of his enviable record of achievement hence his visit to the 34 local government areas to campaign on why he should be re-elected. “I have been going around to ask for the support of members of the party in all the local government areas of the state, so I am prepared,” Oyetola said.