Since his former boss and friend, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, assumed office, former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has been conspicuously ‘missing in action’. From Tinubu’s swearing-in on May 29, to playing host to various people across different ethnic and political strata, right down to the reception organised for him by the Lagos State governor, Babajide-Sanwo-Olu, which had a lot of political bigwigs in attendance, Aregbesola has not been seen anywhere near him. The cold war between the two began after the immediate past Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, reversed some policies implemented by Aregbesola when he was governor of the state.
Aregbesola had felt betrayed that his former Chief of Staff made some moves that would turn the people of the state against him. Therefore, he vowed not to support Oyetola’s second term bid. He anointed Moshood Adeoti, the former Secretary to the state government as his own candidate, a move that his political godfather, Tinubu was not pleased with.
Tinubu felt betrayed that Aregbesola could turn his back against Oyetola, who was his own anointed governorship candidate. The rift however turned to an open friction during the All Progressives Congress primaries when Aregbesola openly accused Tinubu of placing himself in the position of God in the party. He accused Tinubu of planning evil for Osun State and swore to ridicule him for allegedly comparing himself to God.
Luckily for Aregbesola and unfortunately for Oyetola and Tinubu, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, took advantage of their quarrel, exploited it for its own gain and eventually emerged victorious in the governorship election in the state. While the war raged on, many eminent personalities attempted to wade in to reconcile the two but it all ended in futility.
At the twilight of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Aregbesola had a moment of reckoning and tried to find his way back into Tinubu’s heart by being actively involved in the campaign for the return of Sanwo-Olu as governor for a second term. Also with his recent apology to Oyetola, coupled with his acknowledgment of Tinubu as his political benefactor, one would have thought that all parties would have sheathed their warring swords by now. But this seems to be far from the case.
With one of Tinubu’s successors, former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and Femi Pedro, his former deputy when he ruled the affairs of Lagos State as governor, back in his fold, having received his forgiveness for how ‘unruly’ they acted in the past, perhaps, Tinubu should look past Aregbesola’s shortcomings and extend the olive branch to him as well.
