Despite denial, rift between Tinubu and Aregbesola is real—APC Chieftain

The political rift between the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former governor of Osun State now Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola is real, a chieftain of APC confides in OpenLife.

At the moment, the rift is being carefully managed. In a media statement by Tunde  Rahman, media adviser to Tinubu, “the dissolution of the Justice and mandate groups” by the leadership of the party in Lagos State is not in any way connected with a growing rift between the two party stalwarts who have maintained strong political friendship since 1999.

But according to a credible source and top member of APC who, naturally would not want to be mentioned in the controversy, told OpenLife Wednesday morning that “It is real. Tinubu’s ambition is not helping matters. He is not giving room for others to be authoritative stakeholders in the polity within his enclave. He is not too sure of Aregbesola again. So, the earlier he liquidates him in Alimosho, the better. That is his thinking and that was the main reason for the dissolution of Aregbesola’s group. Once Ogbeni’s group has been dissolved, certainly, he will not be happy. At the moment, things are not sweet between them,” he said.

Aregbesola was Tinubu’s works commissioner in Lagos State for eight years before he left for Osun governorship for another eight years.

The highly placed APC member added that “There are lots of interventions into the matter. Traditional ruler, especially Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu  and Prince Gbolahan Wasiu Lawal, the newly sworn in Oniru of Iruland.  are stepping up measures to ensure that it does not escalate,” he disclosed.