The long-standing political relationship between President Bola Tinubu and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has evolved from a close alliance to political separation, former Senator Olusola Adeyeye has said.
Adeyeye, who represented Osun Central in the Senate, recalled the strong political ties between Tinubu and Aregbesola, saying the two men worked closely together during their years in Lagos and Osun politics.
Aregbesola served as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure when Tinubu was governor of Lagos State before later becoming the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Osun.
He eventually became Osun governor in 2010 following a prolonged legal battle over the 2007 governorship election.
According to Adeyeye, the relationship between the two politicians was once so close that he was careful not to create a situation that could be interpreted as coming between them.
However, their political relationship later deteriorated, particularly over succession politics in Osun.
Tinubu backed Gboyega Oyetola, who had served as Aregbesola’s Chief of Staff, during the 2018 Osun governorship election. The disagreement became more pronounced ahead of the 2022 governorship election, eventually leading Aregbesola and his supporters away from the APC structure in the state.
Adeyeye said he had previously attempted to reconcile the two former allies, describing their past relationship as unusually strong.
He also pointed to Aregbesola’s current political partnership with former Senate President David Mark in the African Democratic Congress, saying the development illustrated how political alliances can change over time.
Aregbesola is currently the National Secretary of the ADC, while Mark serves as the party’s National Chairman.
