Lasun Alagbe
As voting is being rounded off in Osun State, it is now clear that former Governor Rauf Aregbesola will not participate in the Osun State governorship election.
Not only that, he has decided to stay away from the state he governed for eight years on a day his party, the All Progressives Congress, is battling for victory in such a crucial poll.
The party wants a second term for its candidate, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
Aregbesola is neither indisposed not banned from the State of the Living Spring, but he chose to stay away as a result of the bad way he believes he has been treated by Oyetola and the party.
Sola Fasure, media officer of the former governor, who is also the Minister of Interior, noted on Saturday that his principal was not around.
It was gathered that although Aregbesola was in Lagos on Thursday, he went back to Abuja on Friday, with a report saying he had gone to Germany to attend a conference.
Fasure says categorically: “Aregbesola is not in Osogbo. He is on an official assignment. He was not invited and not a part of the election council. The governor did not also invite him to be part of the campaign.”
He and Oyetola have been at the loggerheads since 2018, in a manner that has embarrassed maturity and all who believe in it.
At the initial stage, the acrimony was shrouded in denials and diplomatics.
Later elders such as Chief Bisi Akande and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu held meetings with the duo for reconciliation, but to no avail.
The misunderstanding became a fight, a bloody crisis sometimes fuelled with blood.
History may no more be the most important thing now.
What seems most relevant is the possible implication of Aregbesola’s boycott for Oyetola’s candidature.
Based on the fact that the minister’s followers are also understandably large, even if not up to Oyetola’s, a large chunk of votes may be in the wind.
Although the Aregbe’s faction said they remained APC’s members in a statement on Friday, it never expressly asked the team to vote for Oyetola.
Now, it is not clear what they might have expressly been told behind the door.
Is there any secret alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party? Is there a plan that the minister’s aides and followers also just stay away?
Even if they were asked to vote for APC, isn’t there the tendency that some of them may want to personally rebel?
Or: has Oyetola been able to win those who matter among them to himself?
Well, as results are being awaited, observers also know that Oyetola has a big support in Otunba Iyiola Omisore, who is sure to deliver the Ife zone to him, right from the beginning.
Besides, apart from the power of incumbency he wields, the federal support, and the special interest Tinubu also has in the election – being the APC’s presidential candidate who will want to prove the state is his – are sure to fill part of the hole Aregbesola’s disposition may create.
