The cold war between the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and one of his most trusted allies, Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior, came to the fore on Monday.
It was at a campaign rally held at Ijebu Jesa in Osun State ahead of the governorship primaries on Saturday.
Aregbesola accused Tinubu of betrayal and turning himself to god. He vowed to ridicule Tinubu with the impending defeat of Governor Gboyega Oyetola in the primary election.
The former governor of the state is opposed to the re-election of Tinubu’s nephew and incumbent, Oyetola.
The minister is supporting a former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti.
Speaking at the rally, Aregbesola said Tinubu was exalted beyond his status.
His words: “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.”
Aregbesola noted that Tinubu imposed Oyetola on him and that the incumbent governor has failed to be a worthy successor.
According to him, “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.”
The minister strongly believe that Oyetola should be given Akinwunmi Ambode’s treatment. Ambode was prevented from securing a second term ticket of the APC.
“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,” he said.
Aregbesola was Commissioner for Works throughout the administration of Tinubu in Lagos.
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