Tinubu Absent As Yoruba Obas Move To Resolve Rift With Aregbesola

By Ayodele Oni

All Progressive Congress, (APC)  Presidential Aspirant, Asuwaju Bola Tinubu,  was conspicuously absent at a meeting called on Tuesday to resolve the rift between him and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.

The meeting, which was at the instance of some Yoruba Traditional Rulers, was held at the private residence of Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The sour relationship between the two Yoruba leaders became public when Aregbesola publicly accused Tinubu of playing god at a rally to sell his candidate for the Osun state Governorship.

Aregbesola went further by prompting another candidate to contest against Governor Gboyega Oyetola, a relation of Tinubu, during the last Governorship primary of Osun state.

It was learnt that the Traditional Rulers rulers met with Aregbesola in the absence of Tinubu.

According to sources, notice of the meeting was sent to both Tinubu and Aregbesola earlier and no response was received from the Tinubu.

They were to meet with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adéyemí and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi to resolve the lingering strained relationship between two prominent Yoruba political leaders.

The meeting, which lasted for about two hours, had in attendance Oba Adeyemi, Ooni Ogunwusi and Ogbeni Aregbesola.

It was described as a first step towards finding a lasting reconciliation between the two.

The leaders agreed to move to the next stage of the meeting, which will be held at a later date.

Aregbesola was Tinubu’s Commissioner for Works in  Lagos. It was Tinubu who made him Governor, and was instrumental to his becoming a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

They fell apart over Governor Oyetola who, Aregbesola has now revealed, was imposed on him both as his Chief of Staff, and as Governor of Osun State.