Politics
With Aregbesola Out Of Sight, Meet The New Face Of APC In Osun
came to political prominence in the state as a top player in the two-term administration of Aregbesola.
It is an open secret that Rauf Aregbesola made the All Progressives Congress (APC) a political party to be reckoned with in Osun state.
The journey started with the launch of Aregbesola’s political group -Oranmiyan in 2005.
Aregbesola made the move as the face of the Action Congress(AC) which transformed into the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and became a part of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state.
Oranmiyan kick-started the gubernatorial ambition of Aregbesola who went on to become a two-term Governor of Osun State from November 27, 2010, to November 27, 2018.
The former Governor who won his first term through a Court of Appeal judgment aggressively built an intimidating following for the political party in Osun state throughout his two tenures.
But Aregbesola who was appointed the Minister of Interior after his tenure as the Governor of Osun State lost the grip of the party structure in the wake of an intense supremacy battle with his successor, Gboyega Oyetola.
The intense political fight that cost Oyetola his reelection threw up new leaders in the Osun APC.
Oyetola who is now the Minister for Marine and Blue Economy took over Aregbesola’s position within the party with strong allies and former Senators Iyiola Omisore and Ajibola Basiru as top men.
Basiru who replaced Omisore as the National Secretary of the APC has, however, is now the face of the party in Osun State.
The lawyer came to political prominence in the state as a top player in the two-term administration of Aregbesola.
Basiru served as the Commissioner of Regional Integration and Special Duties in Aregbesola’s first term as Osun state Governor and Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
He is now the face of the party in Osun state announcing all the major decisions and leading the charge in taking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administration of Governor Demola Adeleke to task at every turn.
The infighting within the APC that cost Oyetola his second term gifted the state to the opposition PDP.
Basiru is at the forefront of an unceasing campaign to return the APC to power in the state.
Aside from taking Adeleke and the PDP to tasks on issues relating to governance and electoral promises, Basiru is also the face of an aggressive move to unify different causes of the APC in Osun state – including that of Aregbesola.
