The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has responded to the exit of the Omoluabi Progressives, a faction that had been loyal to former governor Rauf Aregbesola, with a mix of indifference and dismissal. In a statement issued on Monday in Osogbo, Kola Olabisi, the APC’s spokesperson in the state, downplayed the significance of the departure, claiming that the faction’s separation from the party was not a recent development but had been in the works since 2022.
Olabisi made it clear that the Omoluabi Progressives had already effectively severed ties with the party during the lead-up to the 2022 governorship elections. According to him, many of the faction’s members had been either expelled or suspended for engaging in activities that were seen as harmful to the interests of the APC. He went on to accuse these members of aligning with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), further distancing the APC from the dissidents.
“The kernel of the statement by the dissidents’ group amounted to a confused pack of rudderless political figures, who were approbating and reprobating at the same time,” Olabisi remarked. He raised questions about the logic behind individuals who had already been suspended or expelled from the party making a public announcement of their resignation, calling it “superfluous.”
Olabisi’s harsh criticism extended to the group’s claim of being the true progressives, dismissing their assertions as baseless. He accused the Omoluabi Progressives of undermining the party’s elders and political leaders. “The ambulatory Omoluabi Progressives believe they are more progressive in Nigeria than the real progenitors of the progressives party, having no respect for the elders and their political benefactors,” he said.
In a bold prediction, the APC spokesperson warned that the faction’s exit would be the beginning of what he described as their “political funeral,” forecasting that the Omoluabi Progressives would face a crushing defeat in the 2026 Osun governorship elections. He further stated that the group’s disloyalty would lead to regret among their followers, whom he described as “blindfolded” participants in what he deemed “shenanigans.”
The departure of the Omoluabi Progressives has added another layer of complexity to the ongoing political landscape in Osun State. However, Olabisi remained resolute in his belief that the APC is stronger without them, expressing confidence that the party’s cohesion and strength would remain unshaken in the face of the faction’s defection.
