The truth of the controversy between Aregbesola and Oyetola

I have been trying to take my time to follow the trends of events happening in the Osun APC of recent especially on the rumoured rift between the camps of the present governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola and the immediate past governor who also served as his boss, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola… Aregbesola and Oyetola

Well, I wouldn’t have said anything since I’m no more a member of the party but at least as a once stakeholder in the party I think I can still air my voice and express my view. You may think the assumed or perceived humiliation Ogbeni is facing today started few days ago but I can categorically tell you “NO”.

Truly in politics there’s where one’s loyalty must go if one were to be relevant politically. If Ogbeni could be lamenting today that those he selected into the Osun political relevance are now against him then it means nothing lasts forever and no dynasty reigns forever. I saw, hesrd and read several reactions after the nomination of the present Osun Cabinet from the APC leaders and few members then as most of them believed Me Oyetola witch-hunt against the build up of Ogbeni Aregbesola in the State because none of his loyalists expected to be a part of the cabinet was chosen.

Surprisingly, Ogbeni was turbaned as Waziri in Osogbo yesterday where everyone thought it would be a funfair and carnival which the present governor would carry upon his shoulder and all his cabinet members would be seen running up and down at the venue for the success of the whole event, but Iol and behold the reverse is the case as the governor was not sighted and he sent nobody to represent him. Even with the information at my disposal none of the present cabinet was seen. At the same time those believed were brought to Osun political limelight who also served under Ogbeni in one capacity or the other but who have now shown their loyalty again to Mr Oyetola didn’t attend the program too, ee r’Olohun Oba bi.

 


I wouldn’t have personally believed the story myself until I read what our new Waziri said immediately after the program which I tagged “LAMENTATIONS”. As if that’s not enough I began to read the angered expressions of the most of Osun APC media guys against the present governor and his cabinet as regards their attitude towards their own revered Ogbeni.

Below are few of the Ogbeni’s lamentations yesterday during the turbaning program:

1. “If I had wanted to build house with the money spent on grooming Osun politics, I would’ve built 10 big houses in Ilesa….in Osogbo….in Lagos”

2. “Out of 64 Council bosses, I can see only 4 here. The most ridiculous part are the LCDAs eating from my intellectual innovations.. Eyin nuhun, Olohun nuhun……..

3. “I accept the apology of Mr Governor, he called me several times, he called me few minutes before I entered the mosque but I hand over all his cabinet members that failed to attend my program to the hands of God”

4. “Osun APC is not divided but whoever is not pleased should leave the party” .

Well, Ogbeni should just believe as a politician that table turns and there’s nothing one can do to stop it. The funniest point to me is that number 2 because I could remember how Ogbeni instructed his guys to select those in the local councils presently at the expense of the primaries conducted across the State.

I was a victim of that callous decision in the APC then when a primary was conducted in my ward, Ward 09 Ilesa West LG where I had 20 votes of 21 votes while my major contender had just 1 vote left but she’s the present Councillor or Parliamentarian as being called today and that was how their prefers candidates whom Ogbeni were complaining about today were chosen across the State. They made that decision in order to install their own preferred candidate as the successor of Ogbeni since they perceived or assumed others who had chances in the primaries were probably not with where their own loyalty was.

Meanwhile, the party collected money from all the contenders then, we paid for the Nomination and Expression of Interest Form, we were asked to pay into the party’s account in the State, we paid for the 3 years Tax Clearance Certificate etc. The State Party leadership appointed the Screening Committee who visited different local governments across the State to conduct a screening for the contenders prior to the primaries even when they had already known they would select and not reckon with the kangaroo primaries planning.

Well, I think I’ll still have to keep my expression till the future time when the table finally turns as I’m sure that comes in no distant. The party leaders who preached party supremacy to us then are now victims of same ideology today and they’re aggrieved too, I smile in Swahili because I know the drama in the Osun APC hasn’t even started.

In the spirit of sportsmanship, may I use this medium to congratulate Ogbeni, the Minister of Interior on his installation as Waziri and I wish him a long life to enjoy the position. I wish him more relevance in the polity and I pray Allah keep his household safe always.

Familusi Oladele Isaiah, FOI
Ilesa West.
21st December, 2019.