With less than eight months until the governorship election in Osun State, the power struggle between Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and his immediate predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who is now the Minister of Interior Affairs, is intensifying by the day, and based on current events, there may not be an end in sight until next year’s governorship election.
Despite the fact that both Aregbesola and Oyetola claim to be still together in public, events on the ground indicate that they are arch enemies, as they are only trying to manage and control themselves because they are both products of the same political mentor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Oyetola is Tinubu’s first cousin, while Aregbesola has been the arrowhead of Tinubu’s political machinery in Lagos and his Commissioner for Works throughout his eight years as Lagos State Governor.
The APC has split into two sections as a result of the dispute between its two leaders. The Osun Progressives (TOP), led by Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, are a faction loyal to Aregbesola, while Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, former Secretary to the State Government; Hon. Lasun Yusuf, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives; Hon. Najeem Salam, former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly; Comrade Gbenga Awosode, and the Ileri Oluwa Group, are in Oyetola’s camp.
All attempts by the APC’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the former Acting Chairman of the APC in Nigeria, Chief Bisi Akande, who was also the former Governor of Osun State, to resolve the feuds have failed.
All of these miscommunications between the two factions are on Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s second term agenda in 2022.
With these factors in mind, Governor Oyetola may find it simple to win re-election, with or without Ogbeni Aregbesola’s assistance.
First and foremost, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola is the state’s party leader, which he could use.
Secondly, Governor Oyetola gets along well with other APC leaders both inside and outside the state. Former Governor of the state, Chief Adebisi Akande, former Deputy Governor of the state, Otunba Iyiola Omisore, the state’s caretaker chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun, and APC national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, all have a seemingly good rapport with Oyetola, and the Governor can leverage this good relationship in his bid for a second term in office.
Also, the Ileri Oluwa group, an APC faction led by the interim chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun, and including certain leaders in the state’s local governments, would mobilize for Governor Gboyega Oyetola to earn the party’s second-term ticket and win the election.
Governor Oyetola would have a smooth road to the 2022 governorship party ticket and election if he maintains his excellent relations with other party leaders, aside from his old boss, Ogbeni Aregbesola.
