Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta

The political gulf between former governor of Ogun State  and incumbent Governor Ibikunle Amosun took a new dimension today with Osoba declaring that he would no longer reconcile with Amosun.

Both political gladiators belong to the All Progressives Congress, with Osoba being a  national leader, of the party.

The relationship between the duo, since Amosun became governor in 2011, have not been a cordial affair, with Osoba protesting early in the uneasy affair that his nominees for commissionership positions were thrashed by Governor Amosun. In turn, Governor Amosun accused the ex-governor’s camp of plotting to hijack control of the House of Assembly to pave way for his impeachment at a future date.

There were complaints much later by the Osoba camp that party members were not compensated with plum contracts and appointments.

Chief Segun Osoba

Governor Amosun

Matters however reached a head with the formation of the All Progressives Congress and the conduct of ward, council and state congresses.

The Osoba camp organised parallel congresses, accusing the governor of marginalising them. A petition was even sent to the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, but indications are that the national body has endorsed the congresses organised by the party loyal to Governor Amosun.

Osoba in a  declaration Thursday at a meeting held at his residence in Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta told supporters that there is no longer a meeting point between him and Amosun.

Addressing the crowd which 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 be keeping 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,we will not allow him to 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 register 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.

  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 and the crowd answered in the affirmative.

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. When they said that, I asked them again, if they have fully concluded and 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 Reps and some of his loyalists at the state assembly will not hold water. He declared: “the battle line is drawn. Now it is fight to the finish.

”They are the ones that are threatening Obadara, Kaka, Odunsi, some rep. members and our members at the state House of Assembly. 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. members and assembly men away. 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.