Ismaeel Uthman
MEMBERS of The Osun Progressives (TOP) and IleriOluwa factions of the All Progressives Congress in the State of Osun on Tuesday clashed in Ejigbo over party secretariat.
Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that violence erupted when members of the IleriOluwa faction wanted to forcefully takeover the APC Secretariat, located at Oyewumi Compound, Oke Moyo, Ejigbo.
It was gathered that the IleriOluwa faction had not been using the Secretariat since the outbreak of the internal crisis within the APC.
The medium learnt that former Speaker of the State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam had been solely paying the rent of the party secretariat from time immemorial.
Salam, a leader of TOP in the state, had been sidelined by the Governor Adegboyega Oyetola administration and the APC leadership in the state.
According to members of the APC, the IleriOluwa faction decided to hold Ejigbo APC local government meeting at the party secretariat on Tuesday to establish its authority.
The TOP members, it was gathered, had also mobilised themselves to the secretariat before the arrival of the IleriOluwa people.
All effort by the IleriOluwa faction to enter the secretariat was resisted by the TOP members.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the development generated tension in the town, forcing the Police to intervene to forestall breakdown of law and order.
Speaking with the medium, one of the members of the IleriOluwa faction in Ejigbo who prayed not to be named said: “It is true that there was clash between the IleriOluwa and TOP in Ejigbo over the party secretariat.
“After our swearing-in as local government executives of the APC in Osogbo on Monday, we came home to hold our meeting at the party secretariat on Tuesday. On getting there, we met TOP members, who insisted that we would not enter the secretariat building. We told them that the Secretariat belongs to the party and not an individual. We were exchanging words and before you know it, they have started attacking us.
“We have reported the case to the Police and we hope to go further on it. The secretariat is not anybody’s property. It belongs to every member of the APC and we are the officially recognised party officials as far as Ejigbo is concerned.”
In his reaction, Prince Omoboyede Jayeola, a leader of TOP in Ejigbo, accused the IleriOluwa faction of fomenting trouble and attempting to take what does not belong to it.
Jayeola said: “The IleriOluwa group are the trouble makers. They are attempting to take what does not belong to them. And these people, right from Prof. Mojeed Alabi, do not always work when election comes. Ask around, they are not people on ground in Ejigbo.
“Ask the IleriOluwa people if they have been using the Secretariat before now. They have not been using the secretariat; even they could not hold their congresses there.
“Why are they coming now to claim the Secretariat now? The leader of the IleriOluwa faction, Prof. Mojeed Alabi, has not for once paid the rent of the secretariat whenever it is due. Dr. Najeem Salam has been the only one paying the rent.
“TOP APC owns the secretariat. We will not allow the IleriOluwa to take it away from us.”
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the Police have invited the two factional Chairmen of APC in Ejigbo Local Government, Alhaji Sarafa Ayankunbi (TOP) and Alhaji Adegoke known as Justice (IleriOluwa) on the matter.
Also, the secretariat has been sealed by the Police.
