By Musa Tanimu Nasidi
The Minister of the Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, says “fifth columnists” inside and outside the ruling party Congress of all progressives (APC) stand in the way of reconciliation between him and the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
The two men were close allies until their relationship soured over a dispute between Aregbesola and his successor as governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola.
Angry that Oyetola abandoned some of his legacy policies and also kept many of his loyalists out of government, Aregbesola opposed the APC’s renomination of the governor for last year’s gubernatorial elections.
At a meeting ahead of the party’s primary, the minister criticized Tinubu for refusing to withdraw his support for the then-governor.
The election result added to the dispute, as Aregbrósola and his supporters were believed to have been in cahoots in Oyetola’s defeat.
The minister has also been accused of lukewarmness towards Tinubu’s presidential candidacy.
However, Aregbesola, in a statement by his media advisor Sola Fasure, said on Wednesday that his break with the APC standard-bearer would have been resolved had it not been for some people inside and outside APC, who are thwarting the moves of reconciliation.
“A pattern of sinister and coordinated effort has clearly emerged to thwart reconciliation moves championed by notable stakeholders inside and outside our party to bring together all the factors necessary for our Party’s success in the February 2023 presidential election,” he said. .
“Just last week, nervous politicians, who are the authors of this malicious manuscript, paid a handful of comedians for hire to react to a non-existent ‘attack’ and regurgitate the story again, intending to thwart a series of steps of reconciliation for their selfish interest,” he added.
“We urge well-meaning Nigerians to be wary of the evil machinations of this cult of fifth columnists, whose sole business is to cause disaffection, fabricate distractions and sow discord within the APC and the progressive fold,” he urged.
“For the umpteenth time, the general public is advised to note that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is focused on making key reforms to the Home Ministry and its agencies, as advocated by President Muhammadu Buhari, and also ensuring that the APC comes out victorious in the 2023 General Assembly. Elections.
