GUBER ELECTION: Aregbesola endorses ex-Osun SSG, Adeoti, despite denying reports of rift with Oyetola

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, on Monday endorsed the former Secretary to the Osun State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, as the next governor of the state.

Adeoti is one of the three persons vying for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in the July 16 election.

The other two politicians are Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun.

Aregbesola and Oyetola had been at loggerheads since the latter assumed office in 2018.

However, the duo had repeatedly denied reports of rift between them.

Two factions of APC loyal to Aregbesola and the governor held parallel congresses during the party’s state congress held in October last year.

In another confirmation of the bad blood between Oyetola and his predecessor, hoodlums suspected to be political thugs had on February 3 attacked Aregbesola’s campaign office in Osogbo and destroyed some sections of the building.

The minister, according to a statement issued by his media aide, Sola Fasure, stated this when he addressed APC supporters ahead of the party’s governorship primaries in Ijebu Ijesha.

READ ALSO: Hoodlums attack Aregbesola’s campaign office in Osun

The primary election will take place on Saturday in Osogbo.

He said the APC was back in the hands of true progressives who would work assiduously to secure victory for the party in the governorship election.

Aregbesola lamented that the present administration in the state had derailed from the core principles of APC.

He encouraged party supporters not to be distracted, but work together for Adeoti’s success in the primaries.

The ex-governor said: “Anyone who was with us when we started the journey to reclaim Osun for the progressives in 2004 would know we fought very hard for this victory we have today. We went through several challenges then but through thick and thin, we were able to succeed. This time around, we will succeed.

“We are ready to allow a free flow of democratic process to interplay here. We are not those who play God. We are resolute about reclaiming our party from those who think they can continue to abuse our legacies or even want us to be second fiddles in the party we worked and laboured for. This is our pride and we will sustain it.

“Let me tell you that God is with us. I urge all of our supporters to come all out and back us. Do not have any fears. We are the authentic APC in Osun. If in Lagos, the governor did not do well and the party decided not to return him for a second term, why can’t it be so in Osun? They know what they have done to us is bad and they want to continue the impunity. We will not accept it.

“Do not be disturbed by their threats. Come out en-masse and vote for our aspirant. In Shaa Allah, Adeoti is the next governor of Osun. We should all support him.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now