Provide evidence that we have aligned with Osun PDP - APC Group, TOP in Babayemi

The Osun Progressives (TOP), a group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, challenged Dotun Babayemi, the ousted leader of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to provide evidence to prove his allegations that the group was working with PDP to the detriment of its claim.

TOP also noted that Babayemi's vituperations were a mark of the extreme frustration of a politician with a bleak political future.

The group that launched the challenge in a statement signed by Lowo Adeniyi, its chairman, said the expelled PDP leader's claims that there is an alliance between the TOP and Osun's PDP were the result of his imagination.

TOP in the statement also noted that his dismissal from the PDP was due to the fact that he chose to act as a spoiler in the PDP.

While acknowledging that Babayemi was entitled to his ploy to hijack power, TOP urged him not to drag the group into his alleged self-inflicted disaster.

According to the statement, "It has been brought to the attention of the Osun Progressives (TOP), irrational talks held by Dotun Babayemi, who has just been expelled by the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Babayemi reportedly, in a figment of his imagination, claimed that we (TOP) are in alliance with the PDP and indeed with the Governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

"PDP gubernatorial aspirant Dotun Babayemi has made a more heinous allegation against us and our boss, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, which we see as a way to justify the political expulsion of the political leader work that he was served by his party.

"Babayemi may be a 'budding' politician, an opportunistic kind who wanted the highest office in his first political attempt in his new party. But he is not stupid not to know that his expulsion may have put an abrupt end to his political career which had not even begun.

"May we at The Osun Progressives note that only a political neophyte will not know why Babayemi chose to play the role of spoiler in PDP until he is expelled, so that he does not not sinking the ship that took them 12 years to build.

"The 'man' intended to play games with Governor-elect Ademola Adeleke's tenure so that he could inherit the 'West Lokan' struggle in addition to gaining that Governor Gboyega Oyetola's camp allegedly offered him.

"As we focus on redeeming our party, APC, which has been steadily degenerating and we have faced the worst forms of inhumane treatment by its selfish types at APC who have had a hold on the soul of our party over the past few years, yet we remain committed to the ideals of our party. The leaders and members of TOP are not selfish politicians influenced by profit. We are determined, focused, patriotic and loyal to the reorganization from APC which contradicts the falsehood of Babayemi's statements.

“We challenge him to provide evidence to prove his false claims that we are working with PDP to the detriment of his selfish demand. He will save his questionable integrity if he is able to nominate a PDP candidate who belongs to our trend - TOP. It should tell the world the day, time and place where TOP held meetings or meetings with PDP, whether he attended or had a representative."

TOP maintained that he took a middle stance in Osun APC's affairs rather than jump ship.

Dotun Babayemi, a PDP leader and aspiring governor was expelled from the party on Friday by leaders of Otun Balogun Ward, Ward 2, Ayedaade Local Government Area.

Party state leaders also approved the expulsion on Sunday.

Babayemi, however, condemned the expulsion as a ruse.