June 2, (THEWILL)- Last week, former Interior Minister, Ogbeni Rauf Aregebsola came out of hibernation and threw a big party to celebrate his 67th birthday. Although quite a number of people were in attendance, including his core party loyalists, close friends and members of his family, prominent members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC – from state governors to ministers to party members failed to attend. This was very unlike the past when Aregbesols wielded so much power, particularly during his time as the Lagos State Commissioner for Works and later, Governor of Osun State, when everyone felt obliged to kowtow to him.
Save for his wife who has stood by him through thick and thin, it is obvious that anyone who doesn’t want to be in the black books of President Bola Tinubu should do well to keep Aregebesola, his former ally, at arm’s length. Recall that the cold war between the two began after Gboyega Oyetola, a former Osun State governor and now Minister of Blue Economy, reversed some of Aregbesola’s policies in the state. Aregbesola felt betrayed that Oyetola, who was his former Chief of Staff, would make some moves that would turn the people of the state against him.
He therefore made a vow not to support Oyetola’s second term bid. He anointed Moshood Adeoti, a former secretary to the state government as his own candidate, a move that Tinubu was not pleased with. Tinubu felt betrayed that Aregbesola could turn his back against his anointed candidate.
