Former Governor of the State of Osun and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday, said his successor, Adegboyega Oyetola, waged war against him after he became governor.
Aregbesola spoke in Ikire while addressing a rally held to garner support for his anointed candidate in Saturday’s Osun governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress, Moshood Adeoti.
Speaking in the Yoruba language, Aregbesola said he pleaded with Oyetola for about two years not to fight him, adding that his successor rejected his advice which made him call his people and told them to salvage the party.
He said, “I begged him for two years, I told him that people must not mock us. I told him, that he was heading towards destruction. I served this state with the whole of my heart, I also positioned Oyetola, so that he could succeed me in office.
“When we came to this town (Ikire) for his campaign, we were drenched in rain from the Akire’s palace to this place. He gets to that office, he claimed I am his enemy. Those who contested against him during our party primary he pulled them closer, while he fights me.
“Since Oyetola assumed office, he has waged war against me like I once harmed him. He claimed that I do not want him to emerge as governor, I told him that I heard him and that now he has been governor, what else does he want?
“I begged him for two years, I told him that people must not mock us. I told him that he is heading towards destruction. I begged him for two years. I sent people to help me beg that, he did not have to love me, but he must not fight me; even if he wanted to fight me, he should not abuse me and destroy my legacies.
“All that I told and warned him not to do, was what he did. He opposed what I did; all the things I did together with him for eight years, he opposed and reversed them. He thought he could destroy me through my work; nobody was pushing him, he is pushing himself. He deliberately towed that path. He wagged war at me and refused to listen to my pleas until he got rid of me.
“When I observed that he would not listen, I called people together that they should start telling your people that progressives family must not be destroyed. The party chairman, Famodun, that we took away from PDP, he may return to that party, we must not let him lead us astray. Leaders of the party then agreed that we should go back to where we missed the road in 2018.
“When Adeoti was angry with us, he did not abuse us, when we refused to do his will, he protested but he never cursed us. We have realised our mistake. That is why we gave him the ticket of our caucus.”
Responding, Special Adviser to the governor on Political Affairs, Sunday Akere, said Aregbesola only expressed a personal opinion, insisting that Oyetola did not fight his predecessor.
“Our former principal only expressed a personal opinion which no one was privy to. Oyetola did not fight him. He declared that Oyetola’s tenure was his third term and he wanted to be in charge.
“He also promised those close to him that 80 per cent of them would return as cabinet members which did not happen. The former governor thought the eight-year tenure was an eternity. It has ended but he could not believe that reality. The root cause of these issues are what I just said,” Akere stated.
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