Things appeared to have fallen apart as former Governor of Osun State and Current Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola breaks ranks with his Political ally and leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the upcoming Gubernatorial elections in the state.
The longtime political relationship between the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has declined and even worsened.
This is evident as Aregbesola on Monday said Tinubu, who he had once trusted politically, betrayed him.
In a video obtained by DAILY GIST on Tuesday, Aregbesola can be heard throwing shades at Tinubu and describing the current state governor, Gbenga Oyetola as the most ‘useless and corrupt governor to ever rule the state’.
It’s no longer news that Aregbesola has been at loggerheads with Gov. Oyetola over control of the party in the state which has even resulted in several bloody clashes.
The minister lamented Tinubu’s involvement and lackadaisical attitude towards the poor governance of the incumbent Osun Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
Aregbesola accused Tinubu and former APC interim chairman and ex-governor of Osun State, Bisi Akande, of foisting Oyetola on the people against the popular will.
The Minister frowned at the development and declared that enough is enough for the politics of godfatherism and enthronement by treacherous leaders who equated themselves to the status of a god.
DAILY GIST understands that there are ongoing controversies in the APC ahead of the party’s governorship primaries on Saturday.
Aregbesola is understood to be leading an APC faction in the state.
However, he has been at loggerhead with his successor who has received Tinubu’s backing to govern the state for a second term.
According to Aregbesola, the incumbent governor had refused to consolidate on his eight-year achievements.
The Minister, therefore, called on the party members in Osun to support a former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti, in Saturday’s governorship primary.
Aregbesola noted that the incumbent governor had deviated from the true tenets of the APC.
He also accused those at the helms of affairs of jettisoning true democracy and the principles which the party and its heroes stand for.
According to Aregbesola, just as ex-Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, was rejected by APC members in 2019 for working against the laid down rules, Oyetola would be thrown out of office after just a term.
Aregbesola made the statements in the Ijebu Jesa area of the state while addressing members of the APC ahead of Saturday’s primary polls.
Addressing party members and stakeholders at the meeting ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary on Saturday, Aregbesola said;
“Anyone who was with us when we started the journey to reclaim Osun for the progressives in 2004 would know we fought very hard for this victory we have today.”
“We went through several challenges then but through thick and thin, we were able to succeed. This time around, we will succeed. We are ready to allow a free flow of the democratic process to interplay here. We are not those who play God. We are resolute about reclaiming our party from those who think they can continue to abuse our legacies or even want us to be second fiddles in the party we worked and laboured for.”
Taking a subtle jab at Tinubu, he said; “If in Lagos, the governor did not do well and the party decided not to return him for a second term, why can’t it be so in Osun? They know what they have done to us is bad and they want to continue the impunity. We will not accept it.”
Aregbesola said, “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 compare himself to God. God has no competitor; He is enough to be God.
“We built this party on perseverance as well as sweat and blood. We lost a lot of people in this struggle but eventually, we came into government on November 27, 2010. We were in government for eight years and governed according to the measure of God’s grace, everybody in Osun enjoyed our tenure.”
“When he (Tinubu) will hand over the present governor to me around July of 2018, he (Tinubu) declared that he (Oyetola) will succeed me and continue my good works. That was what he told me. He knows he has not done so if he is listening now and he has failed to call my successor to order.
“That was how it was in Lagos at a time; a governor derailed and the party members unseated him using the ballot boxes. As it was in Lagos yesterday, so shall it be in Osun today. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.”
“Do not be disturbed by their threats. Come out en-masse and vote for our aspirant. In Shaa Allah, Adeoti is the next governor of Osun.”
The aspirants warming up for the party primary include the incumbent governor, Oyetola; former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Yusuff Lasun; and former Secretary to the State Government, Adeoti; who recently returned to the ruling APC in June 2020, from the Action Democratic Party.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW:
https://twitter.com/NaijamediaNews/status/1493574391157903361?s=20&t=hWijrsV2Ho4GhAG0fUE_uQ