A video footage of a former Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Kolapo Alimi, launching a verbal attack on the state governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Sunday attracted different reactions from supporters of the two factions of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
Alimi, a staunch supporter of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, during whose administration he served as commissioner, in the video clip, had lamented how Oyetola had allegedly rewarded kind gestures from him and Aregbesola with evil.
In the video which has since gone viral, Alimi also made reference to how he and others had to travel to Abuja by road during the sittings of the 2018 governorship election tribunal and his other commitments to Oyetola which he alleged were being repaid with evil.
The ex-commissioner, who spoke in Yoruba language had said, “I am saying it today, let everyone hear. If we have sabotaged Oyetola in anyway, may he win, but if we have not sabotaged him, no matter what he does, he will lose.
“If I don’t know the contributions of other people, I know those of my boss, Aregbesola, and my own contributions. When we were working for Oyetola, we were very open to him.
“We were going to Abuja by road during the tribunal sitting, but he was travelling by air. We risked our lives for him. We were travelling eight hours on the road, both lawyers and the witnesses. We were going with our personal vehicles.
“After arriving Abuja, we would be so tired and the following morning, we must be in court. After going through all that, he now wants to reward us with evil, they are after us to take our lives, but God will not allow that.”
Alimi’s outburst drew the anger of members of Oyetola’s IleriOluwa group with many of them lambasting him for disrespecting the governor.
His statement was however applauded by members of ‘The Osun Progressives’, a group backed by Aregbesola.
Reacting to the video, media aide to the state APC chairman, Kola Olabisi, expressed concern that Alimi could engage in seditious activities by his vituperations against Oyetola.
“That Alimi, a lawyer, could be abusing and cursing Governor Gboyega Oyetola, the highest elected symbol of democratic authority in Osun State in such a brazen manner, all in the name of politics and politicking, was indeed worrisome and it has passed the realm of politics,” Olabisi said.
He added, “There was more to Alimi’s constant tirades against Oyetola than meets the eye. His conduct was a glaring expression of disappointment on the loss of his tendency at the Federal High Court last Wednesday in Osogbo.”
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