Former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has hit back at the Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke, over his comment describing former governor Aregbesola’s eight-year tenure as ‘worst in the history’ of the state.
In what appears as a ‘tit-for-tat’ response, the former minister described the attack as unfortunate just to curry favour from the presidency.
Aregbesola, however, maintained that launching constant attacks on others “do not improve the lives of our people, they only reveal desperation.”
Speaking through one of his media aides, Ileowo Kikiowo, the former minister said, “our intention is not to trade insults or respond to every provocation. What we stand for is clear, a People-Friendly Government and people-centred politics that puts the needs and aspirations of Osun citizens first.
“The essence of leadership is making tough decisions to protect the welfare of the majority. That is exactly what Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola did as Governor.
“The results speak for themselves. Under his leadership, Osun recorded the lowest unemployment rate, lowest poverty rate, and lowest crime rate in Nigeria, facts confirmed by independent institutions like the NBS and UNDP.
“This impact was made possible because we took bold steps: investing in over 1,200 km of roads, including 600 km of rural roads, building 3,685 new classrooms, supporting over 27,000 MSMEs, and empowering 60,000 youths through the OYES programme.”
“Over 700,000 people were lifted out of poverty, and 1.59 million jobs were created through our MSME drive. In tough times, instead of mass retrenchment, we protected jobs, the lower cadre received full pay, while higher-level officers made temporary sacrifices. That is leadership. That is Ogbeni’s legacy. What is theirs? Constant attacks on others just to curry favour from the presidency do not improve the lives of our people, they only reveal desperation.”
Also, Mr. Sola Fasure, another Aregbesola’s media aide, faulted Governor Adeleke for attacking his principal.
He described the allegations Adeleke made against Aregbesola as “a new low” and a ploy for the governor to be accepted in the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he is allegedly making moves to join.
Even though Adeleke had denied any plan to defect to APC ahead of the 2026 governorship election, Fasure, in a post he made on his Facebook page on Tuesday, apparently reacting to Adeleke’s revelation that Aregbesola is the worst governor Osun has ever produced, told Adeleke that he is not wanted in APC.
Fasure wrote, “A new low: Attacking Aregbesola in order to be accepted by APC. I am not sure they still want you!”
Earlier, Tribune Online reports that the relative relationship between the Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, and the former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, appears to have turned sour, as the incumbent governor on Monday blasted him, describing his tenure as “the worst in Osun history.”
The governor, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed in Osogbo, said he was reacting to Aregbesola’s threats to remove him from office in 2026, saying Osun is still suffering from the ‘inhumane maladministration inflicted on the state’ during Aregbesola’s time in office.
Nigerian Tribune
