Osogbo, Nigeria – Members of the defunct The Osun Progressives (TOP), loyal to a former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, have officially rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared their support for the party’s governorship candidate, Munirudeen Oyebamiji, ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.
The group, in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its leader, Adeniran Ajala, said they decided to return to the APC under a new name, Osun Progressives Ambassadors, after years of political miscalculations.
According to Ajala, the reintegration into the mainstream APC in the state was facilitated by the son of the Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.
Ajala stated that members of the group had aligned with the now-defunct TOP with the hope of strengthening the party in the state. He added that the political journey they embarked upon was later discovered not to be in the interest of progressives or the state, but rather driven by the personal agenda of a few individuals.
“We aligned with TOP with the hope of correcting grey areas and strengthening the party, but later discovered that the platform had become a vehicle for personal vendetta aimed at undermining the chances of the progressive family in the state,” the statement read.
Ajala noted that the group pledged its resolve to support the election of the party’s governorship candidate and future elections.
He commended the efforts of Femi Oyetola, a senatorial aspirant, and his team for the warm reception and reintegration of the group into the APC fold. The statement noted that Oyetola, who was represented by his campaign Director-General, Kehinde Ayantunji, encouraged the new members to work for the party’s success.
“Femi Oyetola, who was represented by his Director-General, Kehinde Ayantunji, commended the bold step taken by members of the defunct TOP and urged them to work diligently for the success of the party in the forthcoming governorship election, which he described as a defining moment for the APC in the state.
“He also urged party members across the state, especially the youths, to accommodate the returning members at the ward, local government, and state levels of the party, describing them as partners in the development of Osun State,” Ajala added.
He concluded that the group was received by a Special Adviser to former Governor Oyetola, Rasak Adeosun; former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bayo Adeleke; and the Osun APC Youth Leader, Goke Akinwomimo, among other party leaders.
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