Osun APC Chairman, Famodun Warns TOP Over Selfish Ambition, Political Tantrums

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

Osun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday warned the APC factional leader, Honourable Rasaki Salinsile not to be an emperor in the state because Osun is bigger than The Osun Progressives (TOP) selfish ambiton and political tantrums .

Speaking Tuesday at a press conference to address the excesses of the party splinter group, the state Chairman of the party, Prince Adegboye Famodun also appealed to the splinter group to stop their campaign of calumny against Osun State Governor, Mr Gboyega Oyetola as well as the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Olokode.

According to him, the whole world is watching with keen interest how few members of a small community of angry and desperate men have elevated irreverence and disrespect to the office of Governor into an art.

Prince Famodun who was angry on the development appealed to Salinsile group to make up their minds whether they are leaders , elders, or aiders and abbeters of crime and criminal.

He urged the group to decide whether they want to be part of the progress in and the Progressives party, the APC, or they want to hit up the polity and pull down every good things the party stand For.

Speaking further, Prince Famodun wondered why campaign of calumny should be launched on Commissioner of police in the state, Mr Wale Olokode.

According to him, the command has rejected every offer and attempt to be pocked by TOP leaders saying the police Commissioner only offence was that he remained true to his mandate to protect the people of the state.

He also remarked that because TOP has not been able to control and use the police in Osun State the way it has used the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps men that they are persecuting Commissioner of police, Olokode.

The APC however, warned that the state should not be put into chaos noting that the state Commissioner of police has chosen to remain a professional and Honourable man but then, the men in TOP allergic to the concept of honour .

He noted that in one breath , they accused the Commissioner of police of not living billing and in another, they berated him for rounding up suspects too quickly.

Full text:

“The uncouth, ill-mannered, reckless and libelous statement shamelessly read to the media on Friday has come to our notice. The dance of shame at the market square by the stuck-in-transit-to-nowhere TOP members will not, however, be allowed to go unanswered.

“We know that the group is smarting from their many defeats, dizzy from the knocks from the court, the rejection of their concocted congresses by the APC National Headquarters and are trying to save face by all means possible.

“The so-called leaders of the group had assured their poor gullible followers that their lifeless, laughable case in court would make them ‘King’ of the Osun manor’. The TOP leaders had bragged that their little meetings they called a parallel congress will be ratified in Abuja and Mr Rasak Salinsile will become the party Chairman in Osun.

“But those were just empty boasts of little men to their unsuspecting followers. When their lies started unraveling early in the week, they knew the game was up and they began grabbing at straws to stay afloat for a few more days. That was what all the arranged meetings and conspiracy theories of the last few days were about.

“Let me state here and now that TOP is nothing more than just a club of rabble rousers, whose main objective is to disrupt the peace of Osun, put the state in bad light and create the impression that all is not well with the All Progressives Congress in the state. But the APC National Headquarters saw through their lies and inaugurated Prince Gboyega Famodun as the Chairman of the APC in Osun on Thursday, to their shame and distress.

“TOP, led by these men of yesterday, believes that arming young Osun youths to disrupt their own meeting on Tuesday in Ikirun will get attention. It did, really. The people of Osun going about their business were distracted. Traffic was slowed down. Residents of the area were forced to watch the TOP show of shame. But what the TOP little men should tell the world is what they intended to achieve by organizing a meeting, recruiting thugs to disrupt that same meeting just to make it look like the party was responsible.

“They need to confess what they stand to gain by hiding their own children in Lagos while they promised other people’s children and wards peanuts to go do evil things. And when that arrangement in Ikirun went bad, they quickly started pointing accusing fingers at everybody.

“They should tell us how much they promised the gang they recruited and why they reneged on the agreement. Why did they not pay the gang they hired to cause mayhem? Why did they think those boys will not ask for ‘their balance’? Why did they think the Osun Police Command will not round up the perpetrators? If their little minds were not so focused on little things, they would have noticed that keeping Osun safe is not what Governor Adegboyega Oyetola takes lightly. Miscreants, young or old, will not be allowed to set up shop anywhere in Osun.

“And while we were busy in Abuja receiving the certificate of return of the Chairman and submitting Mr. Governor’s nomination form, the little men summoned another meeting in Oranmiyan House.

“They surrounded themselves with armed-to-the-teeth Civil Defense Corps
men, their known official private bodyguards.

“They were spoiling for a fight but we, the party in Osun, had beaten them hands down in every round. We have no reason to resort to violence. We are already in a good place. Their tantrums in Oranmiyan House or outside it mean nothing to us. Belly-aching is their fundamental right. We simply draw the line at them unleashing terror on the state and disrespecting the Governor.

“We were celebrating their losses, our win, in Abuja when the boys they didn’t pay swooped on them. It is not our fault that their boys were angry that some of their recruits have been taken into police custody. They promised their thugs they were immuned, untouchable, that they will get away with anything. Haa, not in Osun! Police will round up trouble makers. Mr. Governor will protect the people he swore to protect, and criminals are not covered by the oath of office of any governor.

“Calling the dog a name to hang it is the COP stock-in-trade. The APC in Osun is one. The governor is a gentleman who fixes, builds and improves lives. He is not given to frivolities. He has a second address unlike the desperate TOP men who have nothing else to their name except blackmail and deceit.

“They need to confess what they stand to gain by hiding their own children in Lagos while they promised other people’s children and wards peanuts to go do evil things. And when that arrangement in Ikirun went bad, they quickly started pointing accusing fingers at everybody.

“They should tell us how much they promised the gang they recruited and why they reneged on the agreement. Why did they not pay the gang they hired to cause mayhem? Why did they think those boys will not ask for ‘their balance’? Why did they think the Osun Police Command will not round up the perpetrators? If their little minds were not so focused on little things, they would have noticed that keeping Osun safe is not what Governor Adegboyega Oyetola takes lightly. Miscreants, young or old, will not be allowed to set up shop anywhere in Osun.

“And while we were busy in Abuja receiving the certificate of return of the Chairman and submitting Mr. Governor’s nomination form, the little men summoned another meeting in Oranmiyan House.

“They surrounded themselves with armed-to-the-teeth Civil Defense Corps

men, their known official private bodyguards.

They were spoiling for a fight but we, the party in Osun, had beaten them hands down in every round. We have no reason to resort to violence. We are already in a good place. Their tantrums in Oranmiyan House or outside it mean nothing to us. Belly-aching is their fundamental right. We simply draw the line at them unleashing terror on the state and disrespecting the Governor.

We were celebrating their losses, our win, in Abuja when the boys they didn’t pay swooped on them. It is not our fault that their boys were angry that some of their recruits have been taken into police custody. They promised their thugs they were immuned, untouchable, that they will get away with anything. Haa, not in Osun! Police will round up trouble makers. Mr. Governor will protect the people he swore to protect, and criminals are not covered by the oath of office of any governor.

Calling the dog a name to hang it is the COP stock-in-trade. The APC in Osun is one. The governor is a gentleman who fixes, builds and improves lives. He is not given to frivolities. He has a second address unlike the desperate TOP men who have nothing else to their name except blackmail and deceit.

Let me also state categorically here that Governor Oyetola has no reason to unleash mayhem on his own state, a state reputed for peace. The party has no reason to disrupt any meeting or deploy trouble-makers. The lines have fallen for us in pleasant places. God is working for us because the Governor has al divine mandate.

It is the little minds of TOP leaders who could not deliver on any of their promises to the people they are leading that are desperate and desperate men are dangerous men.

They could not get their ‘executives’ at any level ratified by the national headquarters. They lost their case in court. They held a ‘primary’ that led to an implosion. Their leading candidates’ are in disarray. The one that could find money to buy form has been isolated by the two who have no money.

We call on the security agencies to keep an eye on TOP and its desperate men.

They are running wild and a rabid dog is a bad dog. Governor Oyetola is a peace-loving leader who will lead the state for another four years by the grace of God. Those being led by the nose by Lowo Adebiyi should ask themselves these:

What manner of leaders disrupt peace like TOP does? “Agba kii wa loja kori omo tuntun wo”. Isn’t that what our elders said?

How do you build a party you are working against?

What are you teaching the upcoming politicians? That disrespect for leaders, recognized leaders, people older than them is okay as long as it serves their purpose?

What kind of leaders incite the people against the party they call their own?

How do you look up to men who have no self-respect and say things that put their party in bad-light?

As for their campaign of calumny against the Commissioner of Police, Osun Command, Mr Wale Olokode, we know where they are coming from. The Command has rejected every offer and attempt to be pocketed by TOP. CP Olokode’s only offence is that he remained true to his mandate to protect the people of Osun.

It is because TOP has not been able to control and use the Police the way it has used the Nigerian Civil Defense Corps men that they are persecuting Mr Olokode. The CP has chosen to remain a professional and honourable man but then, the men in TOP are allergic to the concept of honour.

In one breath, they accused the Commissioner of Police of not living to billing and in another, they berated him for rounding up suspects too quickly.

They need to make up their minds whether they are leaders, elders or aiders and abbeters of crimes and criminals. They need to decide whether they want to be part of the progress in Osun and the progressive party, the APC, or they want to heat up the polity and pull down every good thing the party stands for.

“The whole world is watching with keen interest how few members of a small community of angry and desperate men have elevated irreverence and disrespect for the office of the governor into an art.

“Osun is bigger than anybody’s selfish ambition and TOP’s political tantrums
should end already because they are stuck, really stuck.”