By Ayodele Oni
As preparation for Governorship election in Osun state kicks off, the crisis between the Minister of the Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and Governor Gboyega Oyetola continues to escalate as a group loyal to the Minister is alledging assassination attempt on some of its leaders.
Governor Oyetola served as Chief of Staff to former Governor Aregbesola but his Governorship ambition did not receive the blessing of the Minister. The allegation is that the Minister was forced to back him because of the Governor’s relationship with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a man whose relationship with Aregbesola is also tight.
There have been attempts by a former Governor of the State and a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) Chief Bisi Akande, to reconcile the duo, but their supporters continue with their drum of war.
The Osun Progressives, a group in the State chapter of APC loyal to Aregbesola trigerred the latest onslaught with an allegation of assassination attempt on some of its leaders by Governor Oyetola and his group.
The allegation was contained in a statement signed by the group’s Chairman, Adelowo Adebiyi, in Osogbo.
The statement titled ‘Fresh plot by Governor Oyetola’s camp to eliminate top leaders,’ claimed that members of the group have been receiving calls threatening to kill them, over their activities within the State.
It then called on the leadership of the APC, to take interest in the Osun case to avoid the killing of innocent lives for the actualization of someone’s ambition.
“Information at our disposal now makes it clear that the level of desperation of Governor Oyetola-led Ileri Oluwa Group has reached the throats of its leaders and, therefore, concluded that elimination of leaders will put a stop to our opposition to them.
“It is noteworthy to mention that some of the leaders have been receiving strange calls which started at the weekend.
“The callers were threatening leaders with assassination as the solution to their activities in the state.
“We learnt on inquiry that the Governor’s group, Ileri Oluwa is jittery of what is likely going to be the outcome of the case instituted by members of the APC who belong to Aregbesola caucus and would not mind if some leaders are killed in order to put a stop to their activities.”
However, Osun State Commissioner for Political Affairs and Inter-governmental Relations, Taiwo Akeju, in his reaction to the allegation, said the accusers were on a mission to cause a distraction for the Government.
According to him, Osun Progressives should look for those plotting to kill their leaders elsewhere, as Oyetola and members of his political group are decent individuals.
“They want to cause distraction and that will not work. They should look for those that wanted to kill them elsewhere, because the Governor is decent, members of his political group and Osun APC are decent individuals too.”
