Confusion has hit Lagos state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) over the alleged takeover of Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organisation (BOSCO) by the immediate past governor of Osun state, Rauf Aregbesola, barely six weeks to the February 16 presidential election.
This Day reports that following the takeover, Aregbesola, was said to have instigated the immediate sack of the BOSCO director of monitoring and evaluation, Abiodun AbdulRasheed Mafe.
We gathered that Mafe, a two time council chairman of Mosan Okunola LCDA in Lagos state, was said to be close to Sulaimon Omoyele, the director general of Ambode mandate support group.
It was learnt that the action of Aregbesola does not to have the blessing of Sanwo-Olu who does not want to rock the boat because of the former governor’s closeness to the leader of the party, Bola Tinubu.
Until he was sacked last week, Mafe is said to enjoy the confidence of Sanwo-Olu, and was a member of his inner circuit, who has been hyping on the need for true reconciliation in Lagos APC to ensure victory in the March election.
This development, many see as stripping Sanwo-Olu of the power, privilege and the right to manage and execute his campaign as well as being his own man politically.
BOSCO director general, Tayo Ayinde, and other directors, it was learnt, are at loss over the intrusion of Aregbesola into the system.
When contacted, a member of Sanwoolu media team, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the sack of Mafe and the takeover of the campaign organisation by Aregbesola, adding that he would not want to comment on the crisis for fear of a backlash.
According to him, only the two combatants in the crisis can comment on it.
Meanwhile, Aregbesola is now a member of the Lagos APC Governor’s Advisory Council, the assemblage of top politicians Tinubu uses to run the affairs of the party in the state.
The decision to bring Aregbesola into the council is said to have been opposed by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode who took exception to the presence of the former Osun state governor at the meeting of the council.
It was also learnt that Ambode was said to have called it a trite that his predecessor, Babatunde Raji Fashola; his deputies, Sarah Sosan and Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, as well as former state speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, were excluded in the council, suggesting they be brought in.
But their suggestion was said to have been rejected by the leadership of the council as no other member of the GAC present had the courage to second Ambode’s suggestion.
Meanwhile, we had previously reported that some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) accused Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of funding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship campaign as payback for the way he was stopped from seeking a second term.
