- Mandate not true, aides deny
Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State is currently in a dilemma over his aspiration to contest the senatorial election in the Lagos West Senatorial District in 2019 and his desire to ensure that his incumbent Chief of Staff, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, succeeds him, The Point has learnt.
Though Aregbesola has yet to publicly declare his support for Oyetola, the governor had recently declared that his successor would emerge from his party – the APC – and that the successor would have to continue on his administration’s projects. Aregbesola’s recent body language and moves have shown that Oyetola has earned his nod.
The governor, however, claimed that he had not made up his mind to pursue a senatorial aspiration in Lagos West in 2019 but our correspondent gathered that the ranks of the APC in Lagos had been enmeshed in crisis, following Aregbesola’s senatorial aspiration and his interference in the party’s affairs in Lagos State.
Aregbesola, who is said to be wielding strong political influence in Lagos, especially in the Alimosho area, had been accused of using some political leaders in Lagos to edge out others perceived to be against his ambition.
In Osun State, Aregbesola’s insistence on ensuring that Oyetola clinches the party’s ticket to contest the September 22 governorship election in the state is seriously causing ripples too, in the ruling party. While Oyetola, said to be a nephew of a former Governor of Lagos State, and National leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is currently enjoying the backing of Osun APC members of Lagos interest, most members of the party, who are homegrown are also believed to be making frantic efforts to scuttle Aregbesola’s plan to field Oyetola.
According to some political analysts in Osun, one of the criteria allegedly given Aregbesola to get his senatorial ticket is to ensure that Oyetola succeeds him. The analysts further revealed that if Oyetola becomes the governor of Osun, Tinubu and other prominent Lagos interests in Osun APC would go the extra mile to see to the acceptance of Aregbesola in the Lagos West Senatorial district.
Just like Aregbesola’s ambition in Lagos is likely to face local threats, Oyetola’s chances of governing Osun is uncertain. Feelers in the APC indicate that despite the fact that the competence of Oyetola is not in doubt in administering the state, the majority of Osun APC members are not in support of Aregbesola.
Aside from the fact that a former governor of the state, Chief Bisi Akande, has declared that the next Osun governor must be from Osun West, contrary to Osun Central, from where Oyetola hails, some leaders of Osun APC want an end to “Lagos politicians” ruling the state. According to sources, most APC members see the Chief of Staff as an extension of the Lagos interest, and if allowed to fly the party’s flag, might not carry along the homegrown politicians in his administration.
Although, those opposing Aregbesola’s support for Oyetola agree that the latter has the financial and intellectual capacity to govern the state, they fear that Aregbesola’s role in the governorship election would be a disservice to the party, claiming that the majority of APC members in Osun are no longer loyal to the governor.
Sources in the party also claimed that Oyetola did not participate in grassroots politics of the state before he was appointed Chief of Staff by Aregbesola. To this end, they argued that the party would have an upper hand coasting to victory should it field a grassroots politician.
OYETOLA’S PROFILE
Investigation reveals that Oyetola is a graduate of the University of Lagos with a B.Sc (Hons) in Insurance, which he obtained in 1978 and a 1990 MBA holder in Finance. He is also an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, London and Nigeria, and Member, the Nigerian Institute of Management.
He started his insurance career with Leadway Assurance Company after his National Youth Service Corps programme in Maiduguri in 1980, as Assistant Manager, and rose to the position of Area Manager, Control Office, Lagos.
He was at Crusader Insurance as Underwriting Manager; at Corporate Alliance Insurance as Controller, Technical Department, before he left to set up Silvertrust Insurance Brokers in 1990. He was on the Board of many companies. He was the Executive Vice Chairman of Paragon Group of Companies with interest in Oil and Gas, Real Estate, Stock Broking, etc. He was later appointed Chief of Staff by Governor Aregbesola in 2010.
OYETOLA’S MERITS AND DEMERITS
Checks revealed that Oyetola was never part of Osun politics until Aregbesola became the governor in 2010. A source who craved anonymity told our correspondent that the Lagos interest group of Osun APC spearheaded the emergence of Oyetola as the Chief of Staff. The source disclosed that Oyetola was in a private practice in Lagos where he made his wealth and riches before joining Osun politics.
The source said, “In terms of money to campaign, I can tell you that Oyetola is so rich and has the financial capacity to finance solid campaigns. Also, I will not shy away from telling you that his (Oyetola’s) competence is not in doubt. He is extremely good in administration. He is so close to Governor Aregbesola that he appears to be running the government of Osun personally.
“Alhaji Oyetola wields a lot of power and authorities in Aregbesola’s administration. He is brilliant and has administrative prowess; because of this, Governor Aregbesola allowed him to head several negotiations with labour in Osun and his recommendations to the governor were taken. Oyetola is the brain behind the modulated salaries Governor Aregbesola is paying workers.”
He added, “The Paris Club funds were initially meant to pay workers their seventh month full salaries but Oyetola was the one that gave Governor Aregbesola the idea of modulated salary. But the fact is that, he is only being wanted to succeed Aregbesola by the Lagos interests in Osun APC. Some of these Lagos interests are also working to ensure that Aregbesola gets the senatorial ticket for Lagos West district. For instance, Oyetola is the nephew of Asiwaju Tinubu and you can’t deny the fact that Tinubu is interested in seeing that Oyetola succeeds Aregbesola.
“Aregbesola is in a dilemma now because one of the conditions given him to make a headway in Lagos is to support Oyetola to succeed him. The major threat to Oyetola is Osun APC in general. They are not in support of Oyetola because they see him as an extension of Lagos interests and they want the influence of Lagos to end with Aregbesola.”
“The truth is that, the loyalty reposed in Aregbesola by APC members during his first tenure is not the one he is having now as his days in the Government House are numbered. Most members of the APC want a homegrown politician to govern the state, unlike what Aregbesola is presenting to them. With this, I can tell you categorically that the party members loyal to Aregbesola now are not up to 30 per cent of our total figure,” the source claimed.
OSUN APC BREAKS INTO CAMPS
Lately, the Osun APC has torn into camps as some, largely populated by the Lagos interests, are in support of Governor Aregbesola while others are working against the governor. This crisis has, however, been heightened, following the state’s recent councillorship election.
Sources claimed that Aregbesola might have introduced a parliamentary system of government in the local government administration, which allowed only councillorship election “and affords councillors the privilege of electing council chairmen, in order to bring about effective grassroots mobilisation for Oyetola, his anointed candidate.”
Some of these councillors who appear not to be in Aregbesola’s camp have been secretly accusing the governor and other top government officials of imposing candidates on them. However, sources in the state’s APC informed our correspondent that the decision of Aregbesola’s administration to conduct the councillorship election was to weaken the political might and tentacles of other governorship aspirants within the party.
Other aspirants, including incumbent Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Lasun Yusuf; said to be from the “home base” caucus of the party, are jittery since the emergence of the councillors said to be loyal to Aregbesola.
A few months to the primary of APC that is expected to produce its governorship candidate, indications emerged that Aregbesola gave way for the council polls after 10 years, in order to garner enough access for Oyetola to clinch the
party’s ticket.
A source revealed that the APC, under the chairmanship of Prince Gboyega Famodun, would soon lift the ban earlier placed on public declaration of governorship ambition by aspirants and that, during the primary, none of the other aspirants from the “home base” caucus, would be able to have enough delegates to compete with Oyetola.
According to the source, this is so because most councillors who are now local government parliamentarians, are automatic, loyal delegates of Ogbeni Aregbesola.
A political analyst in the state said another dilemma of Aregbesola was that he would ensure that his successor was not only a member of the APC but someone loyal to him. The source added that should a member of the opposition emerge as governor, Aregbesola would face some backlash and probe of his administration. Keen political observers in the state and across it are watching how Aregbesola would achieve his plan in Osun, and at the same time, achieve his goal in
Lagos.
ALLEGATIONS NOT TRUE -OSUN GOVT
But in a swift reaction, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, debunked speculations in some quarters that Aregbesola was making plans to make Oyetola his successor.
Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone, Baderinwa said Aregbesola had declared that he would support any candidate his party, the APC,
presented.
Baderinwa said, “The governor has said that he will support anyone presented by the party. He is not supporting anyone at the moment. It has to be the party’s candidate. Anyone saying he is supporting his Chief of Staff is trying to belittle issues. Governor Aregbesola will only support his party’s candidate. He doesn’t have any anointed
candidate.”
