Osun State chapter of New Nigeria Peoples Party, on Wednesday, declared readiness to receive ex-governor, Rauf Aregbesola, and his supporters to its fold, as the race for the 2026 governorship poll in the state gains momentum.
Aregbesola and his supporters in the Omoluabi Progressives on Sunday announced their exit from All Progressives Congress.
The group, in a statement signed by its Organising Secretary, Oluwaseun Abosede, listed ostracisation, suspension and expulsion of the tendency’s leaders without a fair hearing, and continuous denigration of the structure, among others, as some of the infractions against it by the mainstream leadership of APC.
Omoluabi Progressives subsequently hinted at the readiness of the group to join any political party with progressive ideology, through which the state can be the best reference point among the comity of states in Nigeria.
Welcoming the challenge to have Aregbesola and his men in NNPP, Osun State Chairman of the party, Tosin Odeyemi, in a release obtained in Osogbo, said his party have all the attributes listed by Aregbesola’s men, urging them to consider teaming up with it.
“NNPP has proven to Nigerians that it has the capacity of correcting wrongs in Nigeria’s system of governance, using the pro-people approach to governance adopted by the incumbent Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, as an example.
“Osun’s history will not be complete, without prominent mention of Aregbesola’s contributions. That is why the mainstream APC can not stop blaming Aregbesola for its failure to retain power in 2022, having realised the enormous influence he wields in the state political space.
“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, NNPP. Osun state is in the state of quagmire presently, 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,” Odeyemi said.
He continued, “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 the history will definitely be kind to us all. Therefore, with open arms, I wish to woo Ogbeni Aregbesola and his group to NNPP for a prosperous Osun.”
