There are strong indications that former Governors of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, and Otunba Gbenga Daniel and their supporters are heading back to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Osoba and his supporters defected from APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Osoba was a founding father of the APC but a disagreement with Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosu, also of the APC, and the inability of the national leadership of the APC to settle the quarrel led to his moving to the SDP with his supporters.
He also alleged marginalisation of his group by the national leadership of APC as the reason for the defection.
Osoba and his group contested and lost the last election on the platform of the SDP, though there were several last minute moves to reconcile with the APC.
P.M.NEWS reliably gathered that the reconciliation moves have been revived and delegations from the APC have met twice with Osoba in his Abeokuta home to ensure his return to the party.
Sources close to the two time former Governor of the Gateway State confirmed toP.M.NEWS that the first delegation led by the National Deputy Chairman of the APC and former Governor of Ekiti State, Engineer Segun Oni, met with Osoba immediately after the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Abeokuta.
“I was with oga (Osoba) and the delegation led by Engineer Oni came. They told him to come back to the fold. They even wanted him to withdraw the SDP candidates from the governorship and state assembly elections. However, he stated that inasmuch as he will want to return, he cannot withdraw the SDP candidates from the election at this eleventh, noting that it will negatively affect his political status. He, however, stated that after the elections they can meet again,” our source said.
After the governorship and state assembly elections, another delegation led by another former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi met with Osoba in his Abeokuta home and the subject of discussion was his return to APC.
For now, Osoba is out of the country and our correspondent learnt that when he returns, further meetings on the reconciliation move will be held to cement the agreement.
P.M.NEWS also learnt that Otunba Gbenga Daniel is also set to rejoin the APC fold.
Daniel was a member of the Alliance for Democracy in 1999, but left to join the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to contest the 2003 election against Aremo Olusegun Osoba in Ogun State. In 2011, Gbenga Daniel founded the PPN to install his protégé, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka a.k.a. GNI, as his successor after irreconciliable differences with former President, Olusegun Obasanjo-led PDP. GNI, however, lost the election to present Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
In the run-up to 2015 elections, Gbenga Daniel first held a long romance with Labour Party, LP, in Ogun State, then dumped it to join the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. But his association with PDP was soured by his frosty relationship with Prince Buruji Kashamu, who denied Gbenga Daniel the Senate ticket for Ogun East.
Of recent, Daniel has been making moves to reconcile with APC leaders and was present at the wedding of Dele Alake’s son at the weekend.
Hmmn! I only pity those killing themselve for politians