What does Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola want?

By Barr. Charles  Akinola

I ask the above question as Pseudo Insider of the Osun State Politics. Any discerning mind observing with rapt interest, the Osun politics and  some prevailing incidents within the ruling APC will rhetorically ask as I do here that what does Aregbesola want?

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been entangled in a row with his successor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola even before the latter emerged as the candidate of the APC. Both of them had lived in denial of the animus despite obvious incidents signaling same until the emergence of a splinter group in the APC, named ‘The Osun Progressives’ TOP peopled by disgruntled politicians purportedly loyal to the Minister of Interior. The hitherto denial theory failed when Ogbeni himself, during his 64th birthday jamboree in Ilesa declared openly that “TOP” was his tendency in the APC.

Albeit, Nigeria’s fourth republic political history is replete with inexplicable rancour between Governors and their predecessors, most especially those from the same political party. Such conflicts and overt display of animosity has manifested and still being recently recorded across the 6 geopolitical zones of the country between, but not limited to the following gladiators; Abdulahi Ganduje of Kano State and his predecessor, Rabiu Kwakwanso. It is similar situation between Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Goodswill Akpabio,  In Edo State,the rift was between Former National Chairman of the APC Mr Adams Oshiomole and his successor, Mr Godwin Obaseki.

Former Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura and his predecessor Senator Abdulahi Adamu locked horns throughout his eight years in office. Former Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima and his predecessor Ali Modu Sheriff; and Ex-Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dakwambo and his predecessor, Senator Danjuma Goje all had their share of the disorder.

In Abia state, it was former Governor now Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and his successor (his cousin) Senator Theodore Orji.

Even the almighty Lagos state has never been immuned to this syndrome despite its seemingly seamless, relatively crisis free succession story. An open cold war raged between former Governor Raji Fashola and his predecessor (godfather and benefactor) Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Enugu state cases of Jim Nwobodo versus Ken Namani; Namani against Sullivan Chime;  Peter Obi versus Obiano in Anambra and the latest, Minister of Interior and immediate past Governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola and his successor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, which is the focus of the interrogation.

The Osun situation

As earlier referenced, Ogbeni surreptitiously admitted the existence of cold war between himself and his successor at his Ilesa birthday bash. He consolidated this during the inauguration of the state Headquarters of the Nigeria Correctional Services in Osogbo Where he declared in Yoruba language that,”Afé tún egbé wa tò…” Meaning “we want to reorganize our party.” That statement was Aregbesola’s open justification for the bickering between himself and his successor. Of course, as landing strategy to indicate that the vilification was not personal but in the interest of the party.

But observers of events in the APC wonder what is wrong with Osun APC calling for reorganization and if Aregbesola has the moral credential to reorganize the party assuming such was necessary?  This is a man as Governor who perpetuated Elder Adelowo (the current Chairman of TOP) as the APC state acting chairman for 4 years under his watch.

However, some of Ogbeni’s sympathisers had contended that the former Governor was angered by Oyetola’s deliberate reversal of his programmes. Of the Ogbeni’s so called policies, the only one so far reversed is the single uniform and school reclassification policies. Its lugubrious that the man and his sympathizers would still want such policies preserved. Policies that were vehemently rejected by the people across shades of opinion, degenerating in protests, attacks, and almost religious crisis while he was in charge. Policies that drove away development partners in the education sector. That can surely not be a justification.

Some of his field soldiers who served under his eight year regime had also complained that Oyetola had abandoned them. But the question is, having served in an immediate past administration for eight years, is it a must that you must be considered for another appointment?

Throughout his eight years in office, Ogbeni Aregbesola ruled Osun state with iron fist like a colossus. He determined candidates of all elective and appointive offices dictatorially,  a development better explained by numbers of individual in his cabinet who had no electoral value in the state as their political registration centres were elsewhere. Bola Ilori his SA Environment of the infamous “Igi Iye” epitomizes this reality.

After exiting office in 2018, Ogbeni singlehandedly picked all the senatorial, house of Representatives and the 26 house of Assembly candidates for the APC. Ogbeni imposed the Deputy Governor, the Speaker of the House of Assemnly and many members of the Oyetola led State Executive Council; yet the Emperor is still not satisfied.

Why the animosity?

As I continue to ruminate over what could be the basis of Aregbesola bellicosity and this endemic animosity, I hit upon the apposite postulation of Raymond Mordi, Deputy Political Editor of The Nation Newspapers in his article titled “Successor/Predecessor Crisis” where he opined thus, “Governors typically rule with an iron fist in their domain. In most cases, they dominate the election process, ensuring that State Houses of Assembly and local government authorities are filled with their own allies, controlling them with patronage from public funds.

So far, they have been operating without much public scrutiny because of the over-concentration on the man at the centre. As a result, they enjoy a measure of impunity while in office. But, because power is so transient, their tenure comes to an end too soon and they become desperate in the quest to remain relevant when they are out of office… The quarrel is often over the control of structures of the party in the state in question or the share of spoils of office between the governor and his benefactor.”

The Osun APC crisis is Aregbesola’s decoy to rubbish his gentleman successor. Ogbeni and his co-travellers are not patriotic and are not agitating in the interest of the party but to satisfy Ogbeni’s inferiority complex, insatiable ego, power consciousness and the greed of his lazy and jobless allies.