The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it will not miss the departure of the Omoluabi Progressives faction, which is loyal to former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Aregbesola, a former Minister of Interior, and his supporters in the faction recently announced their decision to leave the APC. They cited issues such as ostracism, suspension, and the expulsion of group members without a fair hearing as reasons for their exit.
However, in a statement issued Monday in Osogbo, Osun APC spokesperson Kola Olabisi downplayed the significance of the split, stating that the group had already severed ties with the party since 2022.
“The core of the statement by the dissidents amounts to a confused mix of political opportunism,” Olabisi said. “It is on record that many of them have either been suspended or expelled from the party. How would anyone, suspended or expelled, announce their resignation again? Is that not redundant?”
Olabisi added that the Osun APC would be relieved to see the back of the group, referring to them as “political irritants” who had already distanced themselves from the party well before the 2022 gubernatorial election.
“The Omoluabi Progressives believe they are more ‘progressive’ than the actual founders of the party, showing no respect for the elders or their political benefactors,” he said.