Ahead of 2023, a political brouhaha of epic proportion has broken out in the political family of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader and presidential aspirant, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu with one of his age-long trusted ally and protégés, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, drawing the battle line with him and his hirelings.
Although an indication of a major crack in the Tinubu political family emerged in 2021 but strong denials and rebuttals were put up to douse the tension.
The ditching of the then Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode for Tinubu’s preferred candidate in the 2019 governorship signaled the imminent collapse of the political empire as Ambode, in spite of his stellar performance, was denied the second term party ticket and choked on his demand and right thus becoming the first governor of the state that did not get a second run.
The outbursts of Aregbesola, a former governor of the state (2010 to 2018), in Osun on Monday against his estranged leader under whom he served as Commissioner for Works and Public Infrastructure for eight years are clear warning signals of an end to politics of godfatherism and enthronement by treacherous leaders who are, he said, are playing God.
For the 64-year-old Aregbesola, installing his choice candidate as governor in Osun to replace Tinubu’s cousin, incumbent Gov. Gboyega Oyetola, has put himself and Tinubu in political dire straits.
Aregbesola, who unveiled a former Secretary to Osun State Government, Moshood Adeoti, as his preferred candidate for the seat, asked his supporters to accept and work for him.
To Tinubu he said the treatment meted out to Ambode in 2019 will be given to Oyetola in the governorship election coming up in a few months.
According to him, Tinubu had repaid his loyalty with betrayal, accusing Tinubu, APC interim chairman and ex-governor of Osun State, Pa Bisi Akande, of foisting Oyetola on the people, against popular will.
Aregbesola, who leads a faction of the party in the state, is engaged in a battle of succession, accusing Oyetola of failing to consolidate on his eight-year achievements as governor.
He was addressing a rally of party supporters in Ijebu-Jesa near his country home, Ilesa, ahead of Saturday’s governorship primary in the state. Persecondnews reports that a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yusuf Lasun is also contesting the primary on Saturday.
Aregbesola, an orator and former student union leader, told the rally: “Only God can terrify us, not man. Go and tell them wherever they are, we own this party. We own this Afenifere group. We own this people-loving group started by our patriarchs — (Obafemi) Awolowo and Bola Ige. This is Elder Akande’s group before he temporarily left us. This is our party. Stop calling yourself a factional group; you are not a faction; you are the authentic APC.
“We came back home to reposition our party to where it was meant to be because we followed the leading of our leader that we thought was a noble and reliable fellow. We followed him (Tinubu) dutifully with all sense of loyalty.
“Some people even thought that we were no longer Muslims because of how we cooperated with him. We dealt with him without treachery but we never knew he planned evil for us.
“We exalted him beyond his status and he turned himself to a god over us and we had sworn to ridicule anyone who compares himself to God. God has no competitor; He is enough to be God.’’
Persecondnews reports that Aregbesola thereafter launched a political song to drive home his point, titled: “Bye-bye to jagba-jagba, rede rede’’ (good riddance to bad rubbish).
It will be recalled that Aregbesola, ex-Lagos Gov. Babatunde Fashola and Ambode did not visit Tinubu in London when he was hospitalized for over three months after a knee surgery.
Meanwhile, the party structure in Osun is firmly in control of Oyetola as the Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC National Caretaker Committee recently inaugurated Oyetola’s man, Gboyega Famoodun, as the party’s Chairman in Osun.
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