By Fisayo Akinduro, Osogbo

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The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State at the weekend heightened as the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola declared his support for a factional group within the party.

This is just as the mainstream APC Chairman in the state, Prince Gboyega Famodun berated the minister, saying his conduct was far below the expectation of the right-thinking members of the society.

It will be recalled that The Osun Progressives, TOP, a fraction within APC had been at loggerheads with the party for over a year.

The TOP held a parallel Congress during the APC State Congress in the state last year.

Aregbesola while speaking in Ilesa confirmed his membership of a faction opposed to the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola.

He stated that there were two factions of the party in the state out of which he belonged to “The Osun Progressive”(TOP) being led by a former state chairman of the party, Mr Lowo Adebiyi and which has Abdulrasak Salensile as its chairman.

Aregbesola stated that his political structure in Osun State remained formidable, stressing that, “the APC is sharply divided in Osun and I belong to the TOP. I am TOP inside out. Salensile is our party chairman, that’s my own chairman. Everybody is doing their own but when it is time, we will reshape the party.

“My administration spent eight years in government in this state and there was never a problem in our party. There was never acrimony among members in our party. The security situation in the state did not have any challenge under my watch. Anyway, when the time comes, the party will be reshaped,” he said.

Famodun in a statement personally signed by him in Osogbo, stated that it was unfortunate that Aregbesola who was the immediate-past governor of the state could champion subversive activities against the political party that has transformed his life from that of obscurity to limelight through prestigious offices as a Commissioner in Lagos State, two terms governor of Osun State and a serving minister of the federal republic of Nigeria.

Famodun told Aregbesola point blank to perish the thought and notion of being the Alpha and Omega of Osun State progressive politics, reminding him that he is only grandstanding in the glory of the past.

“Osun APC is too strong for Aregbesola to break. His recent statement in Ilesa reduces his status as a former governor and as a serving minister of a party he claimed to belong.

“Aregbesola is an arrogant, selfish, self-centered, reckless, wicked and inconsiderate politician who wants the whole world to be his possession.

“It is not an overstatement to categorise Aregbesola as someone who prefers to rule in hell than to serve in paradise.

“Aregbesola should be told that there is no amount of intrigues by him that is capable of bungling the second term ambition of Governor Oyetola as it has divine guidance and pathfinder which makes him(the governor) unstoppable by any mortal”, Famodun cautioned.