Its no longer news that governor emeritus Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his one time right hand man the immediate past governor of the state of Osun and the current minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola aka Oranmiyan are dagger drawn at each other following what has remaied speculations to the cause if their fight.
Though Ashiwaju has remained calm compared to Ogbeni who has used every means to lash him and his associates, while on the other hand the war has been taken over by supporters of Asiwaju who sees Aregbesola as an ingrate personified to his benefactor, forgetting that God is he supreme benefactor of all human by His gracious attributes that have allowed the sun to shine on both the strong and the feeble and granting the oxygen to both the good and the evil.
Few weeks ago, Senator Ojudu had questioned both Ashiwaju and his ssupporters on the claim that he made the Vice President Prof Yemi. Osinbajo on the course of his rightfull position of contesting for the office of president in the forthcoming 2023 general elections; though the question was treated rytorically. He asked if Tinubu hadbsent Osinbajo to school or made him a professor of law at his very early age and the answer ambsure we all know.
Tinubu may have proven to be a very smart person by virtues of his exposure and association, he had identified those he needed to help him build his empire, that can never be taken away from him but to say it willnlast forever isn’t true and can never be like the Yoruba adage that says ” Ore Ogun kol’sere fun Ogun Odun” meaning twenty friends can never play together for twenty years. This taken into consideration, it time Asiwaju and his supporters understand that his aspirations will definitely differ at a given time, as time itself is the controller of all events.
I had met Aregbe during his first term as the Commissioner for Works and Housing , Lagos state 1999 to 2003 when my older cousin got contract to install public address system in the newly created Court room in Tarawa Balewa Square, a very hard working and thorough breed, during his inspection of the renovation exercise he never failed to tellbyou that he know what the then Governor wanted and that he insisted on, loyalty you may call it.
Its obviously and undoubtedly that he merited his second termbin the same office as he also built the Alimisho LGA and termed it Tinubu’s country, years after serving as the commissioner he had remained loyal even as Governor of the State of Osun through his proxies made sure that Alimosho LGA delivers to his party at all elections.
We can’t take it away from him, humans are wired and designed to get bored of a particular event repeatedly, Ogbeni may have served for years hence its time for him to equally be served; its natural. In the context of this piece, it is worthy to note that Asiwaju may have equally crossed his lines as a man for wanting to have these men that have crossed his path remain forever with him. One of his mistakes may have been failing to remember that change remains constant.
In his new quest for the highest office in the land it is imperative to also note that a house that is divided against itself can never stand according to the Bible, with Asiwaju’s aspiration gathering thrust from all nooks and crannies of Nigeria, he cannot afford to have the least of his soldiers go against him at this time, am sure he knows better. Politics remains the game of numbers and he can not afford to loose men that have sacrificed in helping build his empire. As a king maker, its time for him to now sacrifice even more than these men, the time to further delegate and allow these men begin to build their empires too. After all Obi can never remain a boy forever, its obvious that his Obis are now men and hence require more responsibilities.
Aregbe might be like the John the Baptist ” a lonely voice in the wilderness ” waiting for others to join at the maturity of time. Asiwaju must accept that he must have trampled on some of his me who may have not been bold enough to voice out like Aregbe and these men will definitely demand their own pound of flesh.
Aregbe political magnitude may not be compared to that of Asiwaju, however he can’t be underrated having been around for over two decades dining and winning with the Jagaban, he obviously knows the strings and when to pull them. Asiwaju cannot afford to let Aregbe go his way if his 2023 aspiration must be actualized.
