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Frustrations Hit Oyetola’s Camp As Loyalists Bemoan Minister’s ‘Wickedness’

Frustrations Hit Oyetola’s Camp As Loyalists Bemoan Minister’s ‘Wickedness’
  • PublishedMarch 15, 2024
  • Loyalist Threatens To Leave APC, Says Minister Not Making Himself Available
  • Presenting Oyetola In 2026 Will Spell Doom For APC – Ex-Council Boss

Some loyalists of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, have taken to social media, particularly WhatsApp groups, to lament what they describe as the wickedness of the former governor.

In a series of WhatsApp voice notes obtained by OSUN DEFENDER, some loyalists of the Oyetola-led Ilerioluwa caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state were complaining bitterly about the inaccessibility and other negative attitudes of the Minister.

In their conversations, some of the loyalists who are former local government chairmen and councillors in the state, rejected the move to present Oyetola as the candidate of APC in 2026, saying he lacks the capacity and charisma to lead the party to victory.

Their reactions followed a complaint by Mr. Tunde Ayofe, a core loyalist of Oyetola, who, in the viral audio, berated the former governor for not giving him an audience for over eight months.

Ayofe stated that all efforts to get Oyetola’s attention to discuss some important issues regarding the progress of the APC in Osun for the past eight months proved abortive, saying that he was prevented by his aides.

He vowed to leave the APC because of Oyetola’s attitude, saying the Minister has not been fair to him.

Ayofe said: “Remove me from the (APC/Oyetola) groups, I have determined. I have been thinking about it for a long time. I’m done with Oyetola and APC. It has been almost eight months since I have been seeking an audience with the Minister at his office in Abuja. I also came to Osun to see him, but all proved abortive.

“I have some matters to discuss with him privately, which can be of benefit to the Osun people. I also sent a text message to Oyetola, telling him the matter was of importance and urgent. He didn’t respond. What else do I want to do? Do I have another leader? Whereas, other people have access to him.

“I declared war on Governor Ademola Adeleke, whose father is my father’s friend, solely because of Oyetola. I know what Adeleke did for my family when my father died.

“Other tribes who are Ministers are taking good care of their people. Is it a curse for us not to benefit from our own leaders? It is better I leave the party (APC) and join the opposition. I’m not asking Oyetola for money, all we want is for him to use the influence of his ministry for the benefit of the Osun people.

“I became an orphan in Abuja and it was frustrating. Is it until we commit suicide? There are opportunities in all ministries and one must have a godfather to benefit and that is the purpose of going into politics. I’m fed up. Our leaders are not giving chance to get access to them. How long will that persist?

Joining the conversation, a former local government chairman who identified himself as Kehinde Abidemi Akanfe from Ejigbo said, “I don’t know what we did for Oyetola that made him not to pay us furniture allowance after spending one year and three months in office. I don’t know why he said we didn’t deserve a furniture allowance, severance, and take homes. Whereas another party came in and, within one month, paid the money even when the beneficiaries included APC members.

“Do we have the right to accuse those who decamp to the PDP during the last election now with what Oyetola has done?  

“I know he is not a politician. He only got an opportunity through President Bola Tinubu. Aregbesola learns from Tinubu and that is the reason why he takes care of his team.”

In his own lamentation, an APC member from Ward 07, Esa-Oke, Mr Oluwasanmi Kehinde, said APC would lose the next governorship election if the party’s leadership failed to address the issues on ground.

He said, “We should let Oyetola know that he is not a good person. We should be bold enough to let him know the kind of damage he has caused us.

“When he was the governor, he collected all his entitlement without caring about ours.

“Now, they are calling us to support him whenever he comes to Osun as a Minister, I will never be part of that. It is better to let the party know that if we continue like this, we will lose again in the next election.”

Another member who did not disclose his name said: “Oyetola is wicked and callous. When you have the opportunity to work with two different administrations, you will know the difference.

“During Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s tenure, even the caretaker who spent nine months and those who spent five years collected their severance but Oyetola does not want success for his own people. That is his policy.

“Adeleke who is in the PDP paid the severance of former assembly members who were APC, while Oyetola failed to pay the severance of the assembly members who left after he became governor.

“You people are saying this because you don’t know the man called Oyetola. I have known him since he was the Chief of Staff to Aregbesola. He has been a stingy man. There was a time he came to the House of Assembly and he gave five people N20,000.”

In another audio, a loyalist of Oyetola noted that presenting the Minister as the party candidate in 2026 will spell doom for the party.

“If APC should present Oyetola as a candidate in 2026, it will fail woefully. If you go to the town, beer parlours, or board a minibus (Korope), you will know what people are saying about him.

“Presenting Oyetola means we will be in the opposition for a long time,” he said.

In his submission, another loyalist of Oyetola in the audio, said: “Once you know someone is wicked, you need to move away from him. Oyetola has nothing to offer.

“This is the same person who hoards money and food till they got spoilt.

“We will take over the state by 2026, but I believe Oyetola will not be a governor in this state again. We all know Oyetola disappointed and betrayed you, but you have to look beyond him. He is not worth it.”

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