I 'll Never Reconcile With Amosun - Osoba
Former governor of Ogun State and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Olusegun Osoba has declared that he will never reconcile with the governor of the state, Ibikunle Amosun.
He also disclosed that his loyalists should henceforth keep their meeting registers, vowing that those who did not possess voter cards will not be allowed to vote.
Osoba made the declaration Thursday at a meeting held at his residence in Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta.
Addressing the mammoth crowd who came from all the 236 wards in the state, Osoba said: 'You know we have been together since 1988. Sooner than later everything will be settled. Henceforth, at every ward meeting, please keep your registers because the one they presented are fake ones. This time around there is no room for any criss-crossing. Whoever does not have a voter's card, will not vote.'
'We are here today, no one induced you with N10,000 or N20,000 before you came here. You are not like those people they are inducing with money before attending meetings. Go and open registers at every ward. At the next meeting, I expect all the 236 wards to have their registers and send them to their various local governments,' Osoba stated.
On his stand on the proposed harmonization in the state, Osoba maintained that the battle line has been drawn between him and the governor. He charged his loyalists to remain calm and focused.
'Don't listen to any hearsay, if you have anything that is not clear to you, ask your executive members. Your executive members came to me. They said they don't trust me again; they said they don't believe in me again, that I will soon forgive and say everything has been settled. They said I will tell them that some Obas have appealed to me.
'I was shocked and asked them what led to this. They said they have concluded and their decision is that everyone should go his or her way. Secondly, they said they are not ready for any harmonisation, not even 70/30, 80/20, 95/5. Is it true or not?' Osoba asked.
He continued: 'Our people here are the original party members. You are not dubious, you have tellers, you don't want to associate with those that do not have tellers. You are the ones who collected the tellers with your hard-earned money and not government money. You followed party procedures and not criss-crossing around. Where we are now, no room for harmonisation or reconciliation.'
'If it has got to that stage, it means, we have drawn two parallel lines. We went into an inner meeting and inside there, I vowed to them that I will not forgive or reconcile with anybody.
'As I stand before you today, I swear before God and Jesus Christ, my Lord, I promise you all that the issue of forgiveness is no more. If you stand firmly as a warrior, that is enough for me. If you are ready, there is no more room for reconciliation. If thousands of people prostrate, it is what you want that I will do.
'It is what you say that I will say. I will stand where you stand. I want to appeal to you, don't be distracted. They said they have given them the party structure. Leave them, are you dragging the party with them. It is those that have people that have the party,' the former governor posited.
Commenting on the move by the national body to settle the crises in all the states by appointing caretaker committees, Osoba said: 'They said they have set up elders committee, don't mind them. I don't know who is older than me politically among them. None of them is closer to Awolowo than I was. I wined and dined with him. I don't have confidence in those people up their again. They are interested in eating you up, don't allow them to deceive you again.
'They are coming soon. When they come, they will not meet me, it is you the executives that they will meet. Tell them what is on ground. It is not the issue of party. When did we form APC, not up to a year. You people are the vehicle and the vehicle is moving. We have dropped the traitors and the betrayers. When I call you then, will you join me?' he asked.
Osoba disclosed that the threat from the governor's camp to all the senators, some members of the House of Representatives and some of his loyalists at the state assembly will not hold water. 'The battle line is drawn. Now it is fight to the finish.
'They are the ones that are threatening Obadara, Kaka, Odunusi and other members. They don't give them money, hoping they will turn back when they starve them of money. Leave them, we are moving to the promised land and over there, there are many offices and positions available. I believe you all understand me very well.
'They said they are planning for convention, what concerns me with the convention. They once asked me to come and be their Chairman and I told them that I don't have interest. Those leaders in Abuja said they can trade with all those that are aspiring to send all the senators, the reps. I want to assure you that we will definitely get to the promised land. The original Action Group, the true Awoist group. This is not an abusive time. Leave them with their own, don't join issues with them,' he stated.
The former governor also used the opportunity of the meeting to react to newspaper reports of the disagreement between him and Governor Amosun.
'They said what does Osoba want? If you read newspapers this week, they said they have given me everything I want and my questions to them are, can they pay back all the money I spent during the elections; can they reward my good name that gave us the victory during the elections; can they pay back all my efforts to the assembly all these people that we used during the elections? How much have they paid then. Each ward was given N10,000 then.
'Now multiply the amount with 236 wards that we have in the state. It amounted to N2.3 million and that is the only money they spent during the elections. If it is more than that, let them come out and say it.
'I want all of you that are here, that laboured both in the rain and sun for this party not to suffer in vain. Don't drag issues with them, just leave them, we will get to that promised land. If within just 48 hours of calling you and we have this kind of crowd, which are not rented ones, I want to believe that success is ours and I will forever be happy with you,' Osoba said.
He charged all his loyalists to ensure that the wards and local meetings were not hindered, adding that most of the defected members have been discussing with him.
'As soon as you leave here, continue with your ward meetings. All our members that have defected or forcefully sent packing to the Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party have been discussing with me. They said they are ready to come back, that anytime they hear the trumpet from me, they will move to the river shore.
'They may call you to come and pick up jobs now, don't answer them. After three years in office and few months to election, they are deceiving you. I am going to start from now on to move to the three senatorial districts and from there to all towns and villages in the state. You can still remember the way we are doing our campaign then. The same strategy will be adopted now,' he disclosed.
He submitted that as soon as he concludes consultations with some elders and leaders, he will contact the people, adding that the decision on where and what to do would have been concluded. 'Don't listen to rumours again, they are on their own. Just wait for me. When I meet with the leaders, you will hear from me,' he concluded.