For those who may not know, Aregbesola is not a boy to Tinubu – that’s far from it. In fact, Tinubu is not the one who brought him into politics. Aregbe contested for the SDP’s House of Assembly ticket in Alimosho but lost at a time Tinubu also clinched the party’s Senatorial ticket for Lagos West, with Aregbe and others working effortlessly to ensure his emergence.
In 1999, Aregbe played a major role at the general elections for Tinubu and that earned him a Commissioner slot in Tinubu’s cabinet. Aregbe played a dirty role in helping Tinubu wrestle power from the established power blocs in the old Ikeja Local Government – now Alimosho, Agege, Ifako-Ijaiye, and Ikeja local governments. The relationship between them has been a mutually benefiting relationship.
In return, Tinubu has raised the status of Aregbe from being a back-bencher in the local government to that of a state governor. For Aregbe’s sake, Tinubu became enemy to Ayo Akinyemi, the chairman of Alimosho local government in 1999. He took the control of the local government from Baba Elediye and Baba Oorelope and handed them over to Baba Kabiru. He even elevated Aregbe’s foot soldiers like Sunday Kehinde and Enilolobo such that they became a force in the local government. Even while Aregbe became Governor of Osun State, Tinubu still allowed him unfettered control of Alimosho and ancillary old Ikeja local government domain.
Aregbe is only reaping the reward of what he has done in time past. That Tinubu isn’t allowing him have his way in Osun is no betrayal but a testament that he is power-hungry and greedy as Tinubu whom he tries to vilify. Beyond the Osun saga, Aregbe needs to come out clean on the allegations that he has been hobnobbing with some politicians in the North to land a VP ticket. This allegation is why Aregbe’s influence in Alimosho has been seriously curtailed in the last six months. Aregbe cannot beat his chest as a Saint unless that of Saint Yabis Cathedral.
I am just over-joyed that this is happening between them as those who have been a victim of their erstwhile unity can now have their pound of flesh. Politics is crazy indeed!
