A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Jumoke Ogunkeyede, has demanded a total overhaul of the party’s structure in the state to reposition it for better performance. Ogunkeyede made the demand in an open letter addressed to the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru. He also sought the removal of the state party chairman, Tajudeen Lawal. The letter was obtained in Osogbo on Thursday.
Ogunkeyede berated members of the Osun APC Elders Caucus for failing to live up to expectations and save the party from its current woes. He said the APC lost the August 16 governorship election due to lack of purposeful leadership. According to him, many loyal party members would join an impending revolution within the Osun APC unless necessary steps were taken to save the party.
The party chieftain also accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, of failing to recognise loyal party members. Ogunkeyede stated that the APC is too important a party to allow it to become a sheep without a shepherd. He questioned the relevance of the AGBA OSUN, saying they made money but the party lost the election.
Ogunkeyede noted that the arrangement between Governor Ademola Adeleke and the national APC leadership to collaborate for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in the state was not properly communicated to party members across all levels. He declared that all stakeholders must work for Tinubu’s victory in the state in the 2027 general elections.
However, Ogunkeyede insisted on a complete reorganisation of the Osun APC structure to make it formidable again. He said Minister Oyetola treats real and committed party stalwarts as people of no value. Ogunkeyede also stated that the burden of leadership for Osun APC is too big for Taju Lawal, saying he must be redeployed.
According to Ogunkeyede, Lawal is a good young man but the task is too heavy for him. He compared the shoe size of Lawal to that of the state, saying it is like trying to plant potatoes to harvest yam. Ogunkeyede stressed that if APC must survive in Osun State, they must rebuild from ground zero.
The development is coming at a time when the party is preparing for the 2027 general elections. Ogunkeyede’s call for an overhaul of the party’s structure and the removal of the chairman may have implications for the party’s performance in the state. The APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, has not commented on the matter.
Key points
- - A chieftain of the APC in Osun State, Jumoke Ogunkeyede, has called for a total overhaul of the party’s structure. - Ogunkeyede sought the removal of the state party chairman, Tajudeen Lawal. - The party lost the August 16 governorship election due to lack of purposeful leadership, according to Ogunkeyede.
