Former governor of Osun State and ex-Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has accused his successor, Gboyega Oyetola, of betraying him and his loyalists, News About Nigeria reports.
Aregbesola made these allegations during the end-of-year thanksgiving organised by his supporters in Ilesa, Osun State.
Speaking at the event, Aregbesola expressed his disappointment with Oyetola, claiming that the current governor betrayed their trust and the interests of the party.
He said that he did not seek financial benefits, positions, or acceptance of his counsel but only requested that the party not be destroyed.
“We did our own eight years in office and by the grace of God, we handed over power to the person who we felt would meet our interests and that of the party. But he betrayed us and the party.
“Those who are not patient and not in Osun began to say rubbish about the matter. I did not ask for money, positions, or acceptance of my counsel. I only asked that the party should not be destroyed.
“From the smallest of them to the biggest, I did not have any form of disagreement with them. Despite this, they went publicly to say rubbish about me,” he said.
According to Aregbesola, agreements reached during reconciliation attempts before the 2022 election were ignored, leading to a breakdown in their relationship.
He alleged that promises made, including the sharing of positions in the administration after the 2022 election, were not honoured.
Aregbesola also mentioned incidents during the election campaign, such as comments made about invitations to campaign events, which further strained the relationship between him and Oyetola.
In his remarks, Aregbesola said, “By the grace of God, by this time in 2024, I would have declared where we are heading to, and it will be clear to everyone where Osun people are heading to.”
The former governor played a major role in Oyetola’s emergence as governor in the 2018 election but, in the lead-up to the 2022 poll, their relationship soured, resulting in a divided All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State.
