BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Strong loyalists of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, have debunked the insinuation that the former governor of Osun State has been going about begging prominent traditional rulers to reconcile him and his estranged political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
There had been insinuation that the minister had been visiting prominent traditional rulers and seeking to be reconciled with Tinubu.
Speaking with The Point correspondent in an exclusive interview, Adelowo Adebiyi, the Chairman of The Osun Progressives, a group of Aregbesola’s loyalists, said the minister was invited by the Ooni of Ife and Alaafin of Oyo for a peace meeting adding that Aregbesola did not beg to be invited.
He said both Tinubu and governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, have positions to contest for and not Aregbesola.
The chairman of Aregbesola’s loyalists warned those using unnecessary propaganda to worsen the crisis between Tinubu and Aregbesola, to desist forthwith.
“There is no iota of truth in the speculation that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been going about begging for reconciliation with Tinubu. There is no cause for him to beg but the traditional rulers (Alaafin of Oyo and Ooni of Ife) believe that as leaders and fathers in Yorubaland, they should make peace and he (Aregbesola) was invited to a meeting at Alaafin’s private residence in Ibadan.
“If he (Aregbesola) is the one begging, he will go to their palaces to beg them but they (monarchs) are the ones that believe that as fathers in the Yoruba nation, they should intervene when there are issues between the children of the land. So, their intervention is just to make peace and it’s the initiative of the two kings, the Alaafin of Oyo and Ooni of Ife,” Adebiyi said.
When asked if there are factors that would warrant Aregbesola to beg to be reconciled with his estranged godfather, Adebiyi said, “there is no factor for him to beg. He (Aregbesola) is not contesting for a second term as governor, he is not coming out for President, he is a minister already and the President (Muhammadu Buhari) is the Commander-in-Chief, it’s not Asiwaju. So, there is no cause for him to beg at all. But as an Omoluabi, when kings call you, you have to answer and they have to intervene for peace to reign. So, that’s it,” he stated.
