The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has given reasons for missing the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mega Rally held on Tuesday.
The rally took place at his home state, Osun ahead of the state election scheduled for 16th July.
APC chieftains including the presidential candidate of the party Bola Tinubu, were in Osun State to show support for Aregbesola’s successor, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, who is seeking a second term in office.
Giving reasons for Aregbesola’s absence, his Media Adviser, Sola Fasure, in a statement disclosed that the minister paid a visit to the Kirikiri Maximum and Minimum Security Custodial Centres in Lagos State.
The minister during the visit said there are over 61,000 suspected terrorists in the custody of the correctional services.
He assured Nigerians that the current administration would rise above the challenges of insecurity and emerge stronger and more resilient.
He said: “Today, a core of the criminal elements and insurgents across the country are on a path to defeat, they have been heavily degraded. Over 61,000 of them are in our custody in the North-East.
“Our assurance to Nigerians is that we shall rise above these challenges and emerge stronger and more resilient.”
The Chairman of ‘The Osun Progressives,’ a faction in All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Lowo Adebiyi had said no reconciliation yet between the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola and the state’s Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola
The Osun Progressives, backed by Aregbesola during the last governorship primary of APC in the state, had supported ex-Secretary to the state government, Moshood Adeoti, against Oyetola, who eventually won the party’s ticket.
Initially, both men had denied being at loggerhead, but days before the primary election exposed deep-seated ill feelings between the duo.
However, pictures of Oyetola and Aregbesola locked in warm embrace had on Sunday surfaced on the social media with accompanying words suggesting that the two men had reconciled.
But when contacted for a reaction, Adebiyi said members of Ileri Oluwa, the campaign group of Oyetola were circulating the old pictures.
He said no reconciliation yet between the two men.
