APC Drama Of Ignorance, by Femi Oluwasanmi

It is a general knowledge that the costume for dance of shame is not ignorance but the ignorance of ignorance because it makes a fool to believe he is the most intelligent even at the gathering of the wise. This seems to be in place at the camp of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Osun State with their overblown trumpet of jubilation on the defection of some of the members of the People Democratic Party (PDP) to her fold in the recent time without taking concrete steps to address the internal crisis that has turned the party to a patient placed on a ventilator gasping for oxygen at the political theatre.

While addressing the people at the rally organized to announce the official realignment of the defectors from the PDP on 17^th May, 2024, at Osogbo, the Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, stated that since the party loss the 2022 governorship election there has not been any major defection from the party because of his performance while at the helm of affairs in the state. This is not only laughable because it sounds contrary to the realities on ground and history but it further buttresses the claim that the party’s leadership has lost touch with the happenings within the party especially, the political timed bomb lying in the belly of time waiting to explode.

This is evidenced by the two parallel factions occasioned by the irreconcilable differences between the Minister and Mr. Rauf Aregbesola in their quest for supremacy over the party’s structure in the state. In fact, the intensification in the tempo of the crisis has prompted advises from different quarters suggesting that the party should forget about the 2026 governorship election and focus on restructuring the party’s structures in order to restore the ethos of democracy and inclusion that have become scarce commodities in the party even before her defeat at the 2022 governorship election.

Aside the political wrangling that has dented the image of the party and turned her members to sheep without shepherd in the political wilderness, the woeful performance of the minister while in office as the governor of Osun state is something that has continues to reflect and resonate in the discussion of people at both the private and public domains. For the avoidance of doubt, it is on record that on 23rd November, 2021, the vehicular movement at osogbo was halted for several hours as a result of the traffic jam caused by the retirees expressing their displeasure on the denial of their entitlement and benefits by the state government under the watch of Governor Oyetola. Similar demonstrations were reported on July 23, 2021 and November 16, 2016.

That is why many people have continue to fast and pray to God never to allow the dark days witnessed under the APC led administration to return to Osun state again. That the APC reign is the worse that has ever happened to the people in osun state is not in doubt. This can be deduced from the introduction of half salary as reward for monthly service of the workers and the denial of the retirees of their entitlements and benefits in a manner that is strange to human reasoning and understanding.

As a result of the delayed and denial, many retirees have lost their lives when they could not afford to do necessary medical checkup and feed well to sustain their health. While the introduction of half salary as reward for monthly service of the workers has broken many homes and shattered the lives of many children who dropped out of school when their parents could no longer pay their fees because of the paucity in income. These have stopped since Governor Ademola Adeleke took over the mantle of power in 2022.

Beyond the regular payment of workers salary and arrears owed by the past administrations, the governor has also confirmed the permanent employment of the temporary staff at the University of Ilesa, Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) and flagged off the distribution of learning material to the primary school pupils while efforts are at the top gear to employ more hands to join the work force across all sectors in the state.

At the health sector, the Governor has commenced the renovation of the health care centers in all the local government areas and introduced Imole Mobile Medical Outreach with a mandate to spread the light of medical attention and care to the doorsteps of everyone living in all the three senatorial districts of the state.

The determination of the Governor to improve road networks in a way that will reduce the suffering of the people and fast track economic development in the state has turned the major roads to construction site. For instance, the dualisation of Roundabout – Brewery Road that has been used by many political traders to canvass the votes of the people in Ilesa for years without construction has been flagged off by the governor with a promise to be completed soon. The same is the case of the fly over currently under construction in Ile-Ife, Oke Fia at Ososgbo, to mention but few among many areas that are witnessing the waves of development under this administration.

The performance of the governor in less than two years has beaten the records of governor Oyetola’s four years administration and proved wrong the prediction of the APC doom seers who predicted that the Governor will run the state aground if given the mantle of power in 2022. Instead, what is visible on ground is the inauguration of projects, empowerment of young people, investment in agriculture and the delivery of dividends of democracy at a supersonic speed without minding the mess inherited from the APC led administration and the nationwide economic hardship occasioned by the policy somersault of the federal government.

Isn’t this worthy of emulation?

That is why many have advised those in the APC in Osun state to pull off their ego and seek for knowledge on how to make policy that reflects people’s aspiration and needs from the PDP led administration in the state instead of jubilating on the defection of those that lack the political weight to prevent the victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the 2026 governorship election.

Femi Oluwasanmi,

Atakunmosa,

Osun State.