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The Elders’ Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has enjoined stakeholders to avoid utterances capable of causing disaffection within the party.
The elders caucus spoke on Wednesday in a statement signed by its chairman, Mr Sola Akinwumi.
The statement is coming on the heels of a comment made by the Minister of Interior former governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola.
While revalidating his membership of the party at his Ifofin Ward 8, Ilesa, last Friday, Aregbesola had said killers have joined the APC.
The elders’, however, warned that stakeholders should desist from making utterances that can break the party into factions.
“Our party’s doors are opened to all committed, focused and progressively minded people who share in spirit and body, the vision of our amiable Governor in his stride to take Osun State into her rightful position among the Federating States in Nigeria.
“Finally, all stakeholders are enjoined to stay clear of any utterance capable of generating disaffection and intraparty fractionalisation which shall not blow good for anyone,” they said.
Meanwhile, the Media Adviser to Aregbesola, Mr. Sola Fasure, has said the minister did not direct his statement to any particular person.
Speaking during a live programme on Rave FM in Osogbo, Fasure said: “”Aregbesola was warning the members of the party to shine their eyes and not to allow those with questionable character take leadership position but if an individual feels it applied to him or her that person should make it in good fate and amend his way and purge himself of things that are capable of destroying the party. Aregbesola is not against anybody joining APC. APC should be vigilant.”
He also said his principal was never a friend to Iyiola Omisore and was kept in the dark about the alliance with the latter during the 2018 governorship election.
“Aregbesola did not give any blessing to the alliance with Omisore in 2018, he was not privy to the alliance. Omisore did not bring anything to that election. The places where the election was carried out, he lost in those places- Alutierin and Oyere. Those who brought him in wanted to use his coming to undermine Aregbesola. We just have to follow the pact, it was just political mischief. They wanted to spite Aregbesola. They are now parading Omisore as the one responsible for winning the 2018 election.”
But the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan, who also featured on the radio programme, said he would not join issues with Aregbesola over the statement.
Omipidan, however, explained that Aregbesola refused to intimate Oyetola of his itinerary before coming to the state for the revalidation exercise.
“By courtesy, when a federal minister is visiting a state, the minister would formally inform the state government whether it is official or private, so that the governor and the government can give him the respect he deserves. But the was not done.
“Oyetola should be commended for managing the coalition with Omisore since 2018 without any crisis. It takes a man of peace to do that; it may be because of the integrity and openness of Oyetola that made Omisore eventually join APC. Omisore is part of the founding fathers of our party in the current democratic dispensation in 1999,” he said
The CPS warned aides and followers of the leaders to desist from making comments that could cause tension within the party.