Rauf Aregbesola
By Tony Folarin Obajemu
The All Progressives Congress has expelled a former Minister of Interior and ex-Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, over alleged anti-party activities.
Aregbesola, who governed Osun State for two terms, had led a faction within the APC known as The Osun Progressives which was later repackaged as the Omoluabi Caucus.
A letter from the APC leadership seen by journalists on Wednesday officially confirmed Aregbesola’s expulsion.
The letter, titled “Allegations of Anti-Party Activities – Conveyance of State Exco Decision to You,” accused him of breaching Article 21 of the party’s constitution, which outlines disciplinary measures for members.
The letter read in part, “At the end of the investigation, the State Executive Committee (SEC) considered the report of the Disciplinary Committee. Having carefully reviewed the findings and recommendations, the SEC resolved to approve your immediate expulsion from the APC.
“The decision was predicated on clear evidence of your actions, which undermined the unity and integrity of the party. As a result, you are no longer a member of the APC and must refrain from holding yourself out as one or acting on behalf of the party in any capacity.”
The former minister’s expulsion followed a Sunday meeting of the Omoluabi Caucus, presided over by Aregbesola, where the group announced its decision to exit the APC, citing the party’s waning influence in Osun.
Following his expulsion of the from the APC, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has called on the former governor to join the party with a view to developing the state.
The party appealed to the former governor to consider joining alongside his followers across the state in order to move the state forward.
Aregbesola and his supporters, under the auspices of the Omoluabi Progressives, recently announced their exit from the APC, citing the ostracisation, suspension, and expulsion of the tendency’s leaders without fair hearing, as well as the continuous denigration of the structure, among other issues.
Aregbesola, however, hinted at the readiness of his camp to join any political party with a progressive ideology through which the state can be a reference point among the comity of states in the country.
In view of that, the NNPP, in a statement signed by its chairman, Dr Tosin Odeyemi, and made available to newsmen appealed to Aregbesola to make the NNPP his priority.
Dr Odeyemi said the NNPP has proved to Nigerians that it has the capacity to correct wrongs in Nigeria’s system of governance, using the pro-people approach adopted by the incumbent Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, as an example.
The NNPP chairman said the history of Osun State will not be complete without prominent mention of Aregbesola’s contributions, adding that the mainstream APC could not stop blaming the ex-governor for its failure to retain power in 2022, having realised the enormous influence he wields in the state’s political space.
According to him, “Nobody can say Ogbeni Aregbesola is a political liability in Osun. He is an asset, no doubt about that. Even his former political family knows the truth, they are only shying away from it, otherwise, they wouldn’t have been shouting around that he caused their downfall during the 2022 gubernatorial election.
“I am using this opportunity to appeal to Aregbesola to consider joining our great party, the NNPP. Osun State is in a state of quagmire at present, and we need a positive force to reclaim it.
“Having Aregbesola in Osun NNPP, no doubt, will also boost the party’s chances during the 2027 general election in Nigeria.
“Our ideas are the same. We all love to see the masses happy and living comfortably. We can do it together in Osun come 2026, and history will definitely be kind to us all. Therefore, with open arms, I wish to woo Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his group to NNPP for a prosperous Osun,” Odeyemi added.
