Interior Minister , Rauf Aregbesola has for the first time publicly attacked Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, declaring that Ambode treatment is a must for the Osun state governor, Gboyega Oyetola.
Speaking while addressing his supporters in Osun , Aregbesola opined that Tinubu stopped Ambode’s second term ambition, a situation he said should apply to the current governor of Osun.
In a widely circulating video, the minister said the party in Osun has rejected Oyetola just like the party in Lagos withdrew their support for Ambode, adding ” we cannot change the rule because it affects your brother.
A visibly angry Aregbesola posited that Oyetola cannot escape Ambode Treatment as he and other leaders will not allow his retention of the party ticket.
Against the background of the infighting, Governor Oyetola has meanwhile moved to break into the inner caucus of President Muhammadu Buhari, inviting top personal aides of the President to the state.
Oyetola has also been relying on the APC governors forum to safe his second term ambition.
The governor’s dilemma is further hinged on the fact that those opposed to his second term ambition are beyond Osun state with many top party chiefs outside the state in league with Aregbesola and his group.
In the face of current scenario, Aregbesola probably has four options to select from and he may have picked one:
Bow and Succumb to Oyetola: As the national party headquarters of his party seems to have abandoned him, the Minister may consider surrendering to his former Chief of Staff. He may accept finally that a governor is a governor irrespective of who sponsored or arranged his emergence. Aregbesola can accept eventual defeat , that he is no longer the ‘tough guy ‘ who makes things happen. With this ‘Baba Kabiru’ will be expected to lead Oyetola’s campaign again alongside Senator Iyiola Omisore and Chief Bisi Akande. As a man on high horse, this may be a bitter pill to swallow. Yet, this is an option;
Battle Oyetola till Eternity: The other option is for the Minister to put on political battle armour and launch a war against his old ally. His target will be to stop Oyetola’s re- election at all cost through mobilisation of his supporters on the mantra of betrayal slogan. In that case, his TOP can run for offices on another platform, thereby drawing a deadly blow to the ruling party in the state. Aregbesola by so doing may have re-asserted his political authority and status. This option is tough but is already being considered by many of his supporters;
Redeem his Alleged Political Sins: Another route for the embattled former Governor is to atone for what observers called his political sins while governing the state. Beyond propaganda and white washing, the Minister is considered by many as having mismanaged state resources and created disruptive debt burden amidst alleged many fully paid abandoned projects.The height of the alleged sins to many including his own party members was the rigging of the 2018 rerun governorship election in favour of Oyetola. To redeem himself, some of his allies think the Minister should play the ‘restitution card’. But will Aregbesola join PDP? Very unlikely. Can he issue a political subversion order ahead of July state governorship election? Nothing may be off the table.
Adopt Siddon Look Approach: The line of least resistance may be a Siddon Look model to copy late Chief Bola Ige. Within this context, the former Governor is to order his men to lie low, abandon all other options, disappear from the political space and keep mute until after 2023. This is another tough option. No politician will entertain Siddon look tendencies except great lines like late Ige.
