Why Aregbesola should look before he leaps

In life you wonder sometimes, why certain things unfold as they do. The philosophers summarize these, as mysteries. The scientists described them as the dynamics of nature. In Yorubaland, it is known as ‘adiitu’ meaning ‘the complex waiting to be revealed’. By whatever nomenclature, it is not a straight forward thing.

Subject to logical  analysis, sequence and reasoning, the frosty relationship between the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT), the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on one hand and Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State on the other hand is becoming a sore taste.

Till date, Asiwaju Tinubu remains the prominent politician in Southwest Nigeria without qualms. He has been so since he successfully governed Lagos as a two term Governor. Give it to Tinubu in the political history of Southwest and indeed Nigeria, he has been very successful in raising many men from obscurity to limelight, and mentoring some of them to relevance.

Ogbeni Aregbesola, among others, has immensely benefited from this avowed strong virtue of Tinubu. From no public pedigree, the APC leader made him a 2-term Commissioner for Works, a juicy ministry, in a flourishing Lagos State, one of Afica’s most prosperous commercial states. From there, Tinubu bankrolled his elections as the candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), to the time, his mandate was restored in 2008. Throughout the struggle characterised to recover his mandate through election petitions to the then highest court for electoral matter, the Appeal Court, the former governor of Lagos State never waivered, never got discouraged, never denied or betrayed Aregbesola. And they finally won….. both Aregbesola and Tinubu.

During Aregbesola’s hey days as Osun State governors, the current state governor, Oyetola was in the background as a silent strategist in the overall success scheme. As it is common to every state governor in Nigeria, the issue of successor always come with intrigue and suspicion. Although , rumours had it that Aregbesola had another preferred candidate in mind, yet he was left with no option than to give support to his party’s candidate in 2018 governorship election.

A school of thought believe that Oyetola’s choice as Aregbesola’s successor was largely due to the former relationship with Tinubu. It is never in doubt that Oyetola is Tinubu’s cousin. A quiet administrator he has been, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola came in as a listening governor. Against this background, he had to reversed some of the policies of Aregbesola’s government.

One of the things, said to bring about Aregbesola’s recent volte face with Oyetola was the integration of the former deputy governor, Senator Iyiola Omisore and his political associates into government.

Sen. Omisore was also said to have contributed to Oyetola’s emergence as Governor especially during the re-run elections. Thus, on sanctity of promise, Governor Oyetola felt the need to bring Omisore, a former PDP stalwart, who contested the 2018 Osun State  governorship election on the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP) was also a guber aspirant in the election closer and nearer to government. This was said to also angered the Minister and his cohorts.

In 2022, crux of the matter is that Governor Oyetola, like his predecessor, is interested in a second term. Governor Oyetola has already been publicly endorsed for a second term by Osun State Council of Obas and the highly populated civil workforce.

Surprisingly, the Minister of Interior through the auspices of his clique ‘The Osun Progressives’ (TOP) – a replica of the breakaway APC faction in Oyo State tagged ‘The Unity Forum’, are going about with a clear message that Oyetola don’t deserve the second term. To show how far this ‘roforofo’ has gone, Aregbesola has been reportedly supporting another presidential aspirant against his mentor, who has indicated his  interest in becoming Nigeria’s President in 2023.

Efforts to invite, pacify Aregbesola, both on Tinubu and Oyetola matters are allegedly said to be rebuffed by him.

It is only when a tongue is kept in the mouth that what has been on display in Osun State between the Minister and the state Governor would give the APC seeking continuity a rest of mind – it has been sleepless nights for both factions, even as election draws nearer.

Undermining Aregbesola’s political sagacity in the State is at one’s peril, but what would the Minister gain if he short circuit the progressives from continuing the second term jinx he broke?

One of the aims of this write-up is to acknowledge Aregbesola superb achievements in Osun state during his tenure as governor, and also encourage him to maintain the status of a statesman and not allowed himself to be derailed. It is pertinent to note that since creation of Osun State, no governor can boast of infrastructural development as Aregbesola, given the paltry revenue his regime worked with.

As often alluded, no success without a successor, former Governor Aregbesola should be credited for able to handover to a successor within his cabinet. Charismatically, the Ijesa born politician is in the class of the Cisero of Esa-Oke, late Bola Ige in political oratory, late Lamidi Adedibu and Ebenezer Babatope in political organization and Wike in oil rich Rivers State in envisioning a state’s infrastructural development.

Incontrovertibly, Aregbesola has been, he is and should be a politician of note in his generation. Many examples abound in Yoruba history to show Ogbeni Aregbesola that he needs to be careful and toe the path of good reasoning. Aregbesola, who was once labeled a ‘Tinubu fanatic ally’ should be in the frontline of Tinubu’s  Presidential Project and at the same time, ensure without fail, that Governor Oyetola is re-elected for a second term.

Was there anyway that either Tinubu or Oyetola or both disturbed Ogbeni Aregbesola during his tenure? Indeed, he enjoyed the support and cooperation of the duo in his 8 years as Governor of Osun State.

Aregbesola, at this critical time of his political career should tread softly, caution his die hard supporters  to tread softly as no one knows the consequences of the current matters. The Oranmiyan should see and beware of banana peels laid for him.

He should beware of ides of March, but rather appreciate God, the benevolent who has had mercies upon him all through his political sojourn.

 

Idowu Ayodele writes from Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.