The internal crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Remo North, Ogun State, has escalated following a public altercation between Governor Dapo Abiodun’s Special Adviser, Adebiyi Adeleye, and a party leader, Pa Yusuf Asiru.

The conflict began after Adeleye posted a tribute to his late father on Facebook, where he eulogized him with the Yoruba phrase, "Omo a gbohun ilekun ma tagiri." Pa Yusuf Asiru, a long-standing leader of the APC in Remo North, commented under the post, praising Adeleye’s father and recalling a shared history. However, this simple gesture turned sour when Adeleye took offence, objecting to the characterization of his late father as Pa Asiru's "friend."

In a sharply worded reply, Adeleye accused Pa Asiru of disrespect, suggesting it was inappropriate to refer to his late father as a peer. He stated:

"Yusuf Asiru sir, if my dad was alive, he would be 85 years old. It’s really denigrating and disrespectful to call my dad your friend... I have just decided to stop the unnecessary misrepresentation of facts and history."

Despite Pa Asiru’s dignified response of, "God bless your judgment," tensions escalated when Pa Asiru’s son, Shola Asiru, stepped in to defend his father. In a message seen by our correspondent, Shola warned Adeleye against further disrespect:

"This isn't just to insult you but to wake you up in case you're losing your mind... Push me further, and you will regret it. I can expose your true character to everyone, and you won’t enjoy the fallout."

Adeleye’s response shocked many, as he lashed out with a blunt retort, saying:

"Apple doesn't fall far from its tree. Like father, like son... If you do anything funny, I swear, I will hit back at your disrespectful dad. F**k you all."

This public outburst has sparked widespread outrage, with Ogun State residents and party members calling on Governor Dapo Abiodun to address the behavior of his aide. Critics claim that Adeleye’s continued disrespect towards key leaders in Remo North is contributing to the APC’s declining fortunes in the area, citing the party’s loss in all 10 wards and winning less than 7 polling units out of 132 polling units in the local government during the last gubernatorial and assembly elections. His arrogance and uncultured behaviors towards the party leaders and traditional rulers made Remo North APC to lose woefully in 2023. The constituents didn't vote out APC in 2023 because they hate the party, but they voted against APC because of Adeleye’s tyranny.

One resident, Samson Peter Adewale, reacted online, describing Adeleye’s actions as arrogant:

"How can Hon Biyi Adeleye be insulting an elderly person on social media? We Ipara people will not take that from you at all... Don’t you remember that your dad was once a thief in Isara?"

Many now fear that this internal rift could further jeopardize the APC’s chances in the upcoming local government elections, especially if the governor backs Adeleye’s preferred candidate. If Adeleye's preferred candidate is backed by His Excellency, it would give him more power to disrespect the party leaders, traditional rulers and would cause unrest in the local government which will eventually affect the party's chances in 2027 as it happened in 2023.