Osun 2022: Aregbesola finally bows to Tinubu, accepts to work for Oyetola, APC

Less than 20 days to the conduct of the Osun state governorship election, a respite was reportedly come the way of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state as the embattled political son of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola has agreed to work for the party’s victory.

Telescope.ng reports that Joe Igbokwe, a strong ally of Tinubu and special adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, gave the hint on his verified Facebook page that Aregbesola has reconciled with Governor Gboyega Oyetola ahead of the poll.

Igbokwe wrote: “Please know this and have inner peace and tranquillity: Aregbesola and Gov Oyetola have reconciled and vowed to deliver Osun for the APC. To God be the glory.”

It would be recalled that Aregbesola fell out of Tinubu’s favour over his insistence that Oyetola, a cousin to the former governor of Lagos state would not be reelected.

The minister’s onslaught against Tinubu reached its crescendo during a rally he organised in Ilesha, his hometown some days to the party’s governorship primary where he said many unprintable things about his benefactor.

Aregbesola’s action was, however, met with a stiff opposition from Tinubu’s loyalists in Lagos and Osun states. This led some APC members in Alimosho area of Lagos to carry a coffin with Aregbesola’s name to signal the end of his political career in the state.

Aregbesola’s preferred governorship candidate, Moshood Adeoti, was beaten at the primary by Governor Oyetola, who is now seeking a reelection.

However, while speaking with The Punch, Lowo Adebiyi, the chairman of ‘The Osun Progressives,” a faction in the APC in Osun State, on Sunday, June 26, said no reconciliation yet between Aregbesola; and Governor Oyetola.

Adebiyi, accused members of Ileri Oluwa, the campaign group of Oyetola, of circulating the pictures.

He said: “They are old pictures. Members of Ileri Oluwa group are behind it. Disregard them. If there will be reconciliation, it is not pictures that you will see first. Discussion will be held first. No discussion yet. Nothing happened. No reconciliation yet.”