Aregbesola Disputes Claims He Worked Against Oyetola, Provides “Proof”

Minister for Interior, Rauf Argebesola has disputed claims that he worked against the former Governor of Osun state, Gboyega Oyetola.

Aregbesola disclosed that contrary to assertions in some quarters that he was against Oyetola becoming his successor in 2018, he actually put in place a structure to facilitate the process.

Aregbesola was governor of Osun state from 27 November 2010 to 27 November 2018.

Oyetola who was his Chief of Staff succeeded him on 27 November 2018 and was governor till November 27, 2022.

Aregbesola revealed his role in Oyetola’s emergence as his successor in a tribute to Idowu Korede, a recently deceased staunch loyalist.

“KOREDE was at the head of the efforts in Ijesaland to install my successor; Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, in the last quarter of 2016, when at my prompting he formed the LEGACY GROUP to champion the aspiration. This was known to the aspirant whom he personally met on December 26, 2016 in his official quarter at Oke-Fia. 

This clearly belied the deliberate falsehood of Ogbeni’s opposition to this ticket.” Aregbesola wrote in the tribute posted on his verified social media handle.

The Minister was, however, silent on his alleged role in Oyetola’s re-election loss of 2022 -the election Tribunal upturned the verdict last week with the new Governor Ademola Adeleke declaring he will appeal.

Aregbesola described Akorede, the staunch supporter who died on December 31, 2022, while recuperating from surgery as very committed, reliable, and faithful.

“He effectively discharged his responsibility to me and the cause since 2004, from the days of the struggle to rebuild our party, reclaim the state from the PDP, prepare for the 2007 gubernatorial election, defend our victory, pursue a titanic legal tussle for 42 months, winning the legal battle and getting the mandate to return the progressives back to the political leadership of Osun and running an eight-year unparalleled people-oriented administration in Osun. He was in the vanguard of all these efforts.”

And added in another part of the tribute, “Unlike others who could not stand-up to their convictions in the face of temptations, Korede refused to demure in the face of a huge pressure to rewrite the history of the struggle for progressive governance in Osun and its continuity.

“The few trappings of development that Ijesaland has had from the Federal Government so far – employment of the youth, empowerment of women and other vulnerable people and siting of landmark projects like the Federal Fire Service Regional Training School, Ilesa, the 3,000 capacity Custodial Centre in Iloba, National Institute of Domestic Security, Urogbo and Nigeria Immigration Service Passport Office, Ilesa – all have the imprimatur of KOREDE. He chivalrously coordinated the successful delivery of these programmes and projects for my office.”

The Minister posted the tribute titled “KOREDE WAS A MAN’ on January 15, 2023.

Culled from Phoenix App

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