Osoba rules out reconciliation with Amosun

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State deepened on Thursday as a former governor of the state and national leader of the party, Chief Olusegun Osoba, foreclosed reconciliation with the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

He said this during a consultative meeting with his loyalists at his Ibara home in Abeokuta.

The APC in Ogun has been bedevilled with internal crisis which led to the emergence of parallel executive councils.

One of the groups is loyal to Amosun while the other pitches its tent with Osoba.

Osoba, explained that neither the intervention by traditional rulers nor the national leadership who might suggest harmonisation of the executive in any format would make him change his stance.

He added he would not accept apology from them or the governor.

While addressing his loyalists, mostly drawn from the 20 local government areas in the state, Osoba said his faction had reached some decisions which he held dear to his heart.

Speaking in Yoruba, he explained that their relationship dated back to 1988, adding that sooner or later he would tell them where he would pitch his tent.

He said,' Henceforth, at every ward meeting, please, be keeping registers because the ones they presented are fake ones.

'Go and open register at every ward. So, at the next meeting, I expect all the 236 wards to have got their registers and send them to their various local governments. Don't listen to any hearsay, if you have anything that is not clear to you, ask your executive members.'

He noted that the executive members had informed him that they would not agree with any form of harmonisation, be it 70/30, 80/20 or even 95/5.'

He stated further,'Where we are now, no room for harmonisation or reconciliation. I then told them that, if it has got to that, it means we have drawn two parallel lines.

I asked them again if they have fully concluded after which we all   went into an inner meeting where I vowed to them that I will not forgive or reconcile with anybody.'

'If thousand 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.'

On which faction has the (control) of the party in the state, Osoba said nobody should drag that issue with anyone, as the side that has the people on its side has the party.

Commenting on the setting up of an elders' committee to reconcile the factions in the party, he said he did not have confidence in the arrangement as ' 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 there again.'

Osoba warned his loyalists not to take any job from Amosun.

Efforts made to speak with the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, on the issue proved abortive. His two telephones lines were switched off when our correspondent tried to reach him for comments. Punch