The proxy war between Abuja and some powerful All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains; and APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu may snowball into violence in Osogbo, the Osun State capital this week, if media reports are to be believed.
An alleged plan by Tinubu to throw in his hat for the presidency in 2023, and the anger of a federal minister, whose wings Tinubu is believed to be clipping in the South-West, pundits say, is the fertiliser for the political battle of supremacy, using Osun as the battlefield.
Many APC chieftains, including a serving South-West Governor and three former governors; and many northern governors, especially one from the North-West, are believed to be adopting counter-measures to stultify Tinubus alleged presidential dreams.
Governors Nasir el Rufai, Kayode Fayemi; former Governors Babatunde Fashola, Akinwumi Ambode; Minister Rauf Aregbesola and a host of northern governors, excepting Kano Governor, Umar Ganduje, are believed to be working with other Abuja elements against Tinubu, though none is known to have played an open card.
The situation is further worsened for the Lagos politician because of the suspicion that he allegedly has a hand in the #EndSARS protests, exploiting the simmering anger of youths. The protest is believed in Abuja to have had an uncanny resemblance to one used to rattle the preceding Goodluck Jonathan presidency when APC was undermining the Ijaw-born politician.
Meanwhile, GWG.ng, an online newspaper, is giving details of the brewing crisis in Osun. It reports:
Palpable tension was on Monday morning brewing ahead of the second year anniversary of the Gboyega Oyetola administration in Osun State following the revelation that his predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola, is also planning a rival anniversary of ten years of “progressive governance.”
GWG gathered that the Oyetola administration is in the dark concerning the minister of interior’s plans and Osun State administration officials are afraid that the conflicting events may lead to anarchy.
Oyetola was inaugurated as governor on November 27, 2018 following eight years of Aregbesola’s administration who first came to office on November 27, 2010.
The fears of the authorities are also following claims that the recent EndSARS protest was used by enemies of the governor to attack him. It is now feared that a repeat may occur.
Aregbesola and Oyetola are remarkably members of the same political family, but issues between them have emerged since the Oyetola administration reversed some landmark ideas of his predecessor which were seen as unpopular.
“The truth is, the situation is getting out of hand between the governor and the minister. We have been trying to manage it but the truth is that the attitude of some of these key players hasn’t been helpful,” a source privy to the development told Daily Independent.
“The Osun State government will clock two years in office this week. The state government has lined up some activities which includes commissioning of projects. However, we received reports that the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Aregbesola is also coming to Osun this week to celebrate what they called ‘10 Years of Progressive Governance in Osun’ without consulting with the governor.
“We felt since they are both members of the same political party and family, if you are celebrating 10 years of APC coming to power in Osun, it is the responsibility of the state government to do that, not an individual; or at best, there should be a synergy between the incumbent governor and his predecessor. But I can categorically tell you that the minister is doing it without recourse to the governor.
“From intelligence report we have gathered, there is no way there won’t be crisis if both events take place at the same time because the supporters in both camps are already threatening showdown. It was even alleged that some supporters of the minister masterminded the attack on the governor and his convoy last month using the #EndSARS protest as a cover. Many had alleged that the minister is remotely connected to the attack.
“We have appealed to the minister to shelve his event for some days to allow the state government celebrate the second anniversary this week but he won’t budge”.
Another source who is a former commissioner in the state called on APC political leaders to call the minister to order saying:
“We are appealing to President Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other APC leaders to call Aregbesola to order. Coming to Osun to celebrate 10 years of progressive governance in Osun, the same week the state government is planning to celebrate two years in office is just an avenue to cause trouble in the state.
“They are planning to bring in thugs from Ede, Ibadan, Ilesa and other places to cause crisis in the state. Aregbesola is also planning to use his influence as Minister of Interior to bring in paramilitary officers such as Civil Defence, Immigration, Prisons and so on. There is no way the relative peace being enjoyed in the state will not be shattered if he is allowed to go ahead with his programme”, he said.
Aregbesola’s media aide, Sola Fasure while confirming Aregbesola’s plans to celebrate 10 years of ‘progressive governance’ however, dismissed insinuations of anarchy as alleged.
“Yes, he is planning to celebrate it. This is the 10th anniversary of bringing in progressive government to Osun. That includes eight years of his own tenure and two years of the current.”
He affirmed that the governor was in the know part of Aregbesola’s plans.
▪︎ Additional reports by gwg.ng