The Tinubu and Aregbesola Feud; The betrayal of Political Principle and a Broken Loyalty -Dr. Ibrahim Obel Yaji

In the past few days, I have tried to reflect on the Aregbesola and Tinubu feud. A lot of people have come out to accuse Aregbesola of disloyalty to his master in Lagos over his comments last week on fourth coming Osun elections. Many people have gone ahead to say Tinubu picked Aregbesola from the gutters in 1999 and made him commissioner bla bla. The problem with most people who made comments on saga was their sensationalism and blind emotions to the issue. Some acted largely out of ignorance of History or biased loyalty or even worst, Sheer Hypocrisy.

A close look at how the Tinubu Dynasty was built, and it’s mood of operations,
Aregbesola only acted on the rules of their handbook. For the records, Aregbesola and Tinubu have been in the game as far back as the 3rd republic, while BAT ran for senator, Aregbesola ran for house of Reps in the 1993 elections. They have been political buddies, Aregbesola have been a successful Engineer and Businessman like Asiwaju since in the 90s. They were together all through the struggle for return of democracy till 1999, when Asiwaju decided to run for Governor in 1999, he asked Aregbesola to be his DG. Who picks a man from the gutters to be his campaign DG?. He went ahead to deliver Asiwaju in 1999 and he was later appointed Commissioner of Works for the next 8 years.

In his book, Baba Bisi Akande, recounted asking Asiwaju to allow Aregbesola to come and be his deputy in 2003 elections but Asiwaju turned him down saying he needs Aregbesola to maintain some structures for him in Lagos especially in Alimosho, but Asiwaju assured Baba that Aregbesola would come around after 2003 elections. This is to show you the value of the Man many claimed was picked from gutters. Many Yorubas who are familiar with the Tinubu’s dynasty would tell you Aregbesola prior to this recent fall out is seen as the unofficial chief of staff to Asiwaju, he literally worships Asiwaju and have made his words Law in his life. Aregbesola can leave what ever he is doing and attend to Asiwaju. No man dead or alive outside Asiwaju’s family have served him more than Aregbesola.

By how the Tinubu Dynasty operate, Loyalty is their religion. They respect hierarchy alot. If they make you, then you must bow to them regardless of who you are, it was on this principle that Ambode was removed. Check out all the defunct ACN governors who became governors through Court cases, they had to bow to bullion to get there, some of them struggled to get out of that grip, some succeeded but it is important to note than if there was any governor who stayed through to bullion without unquestioned loyalty, it was Aregbesola. Look at people like Fayemi, Amosun they all have broken out.

Many people have complained about how he has made Tinubu his god but he never looked back. When it was time to leave office, just like all outgoing governors he wanted his SSG Adeoti to succeed him but Asiwaju just like he implied in Lagos to bring Ambode against fashola’s wish, he insisted on Oyetola his cousin to succeed Aregbesola and Aregbesola complied. Now when Ambode refused to bow to the godfathers in Lagos he was changed, when Obaseki refused to bow to Adams oshiomole who is strong member of the Tinunu family, he was denied primaries and all the Jagaban family members were ok with it. But when it got to the turn of Oyetola they wanted the rules to be changed, but they earlier affirmed it was not ok for Obaseki to disrespect Adams oshiomole but it was now ok for Oyetola to disrespect Aregbesola.

Aregbesola have been reaching out to both Oyetola and Asiwaju to complain about how Oyetola have been treating him for the past 3 years but nothing has been done. Asiwaju turned a deaf ear to him, this is simply because Oyetola is his blood. Aregbesola just like every other loyalist got angry and reacted, and he did this strictly out of principle. You cannot set the rules for us and after we have followed it for years, you would now want to change because your cousin is involved. Aregbesola took the fight against Aketi in ondo to deliver Tinunu’s candidate in APC primaries, then in Ogun to fight Amosun all for Tinubu’s Candidate, you think he is stupid?

I love Aregbesola because he has understood Loyalty over the years and have stocked to Asiwaju as his leader without ambiguity. He has never been apologetic about his loyalty for Asiwaju over the years. The least Asiwaju could do in my opinion was to watch Oyetola disrespect Aregbesola for any reason. Aregbesola has paid his dues and regardless of the outcomes of this feud, he has played the politics of principle and he is far better than many Asiwaju followers who hate him and can’t come out to say it. For me, he remains a man of honor and his reaction is very much needed in Godfatherism politics. Every Godfather must know that Loyalty is two ways, you are only a godfather because your political sons have decided you would be their father and be a god over them. They would only continue to do so if you protect and uphold their interest. Humans are not stupid, they are only loyal to you when they know you would protect their own interest. Almost every great political empire that collapsed, collapsed because the heads of those empires started assuming a god complex.
I respect and honor Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the whole of my life, I can’t even deny he is a great Politician of his time but allowing a relative disrespect your loyalist is bad political move, other loyalists are watching and taking notes. It’s my wish the two resolve their differences in due time.

Again for the records, Aregbesola have also benefitted so much for Asiwaju. From being a commissioner for 8years, then governor for 8 years, now minister for 4 years. Even though there is still a lot of controversy about who made him minister but we all cannot deny he has enjoyed the covering of Asiwaju in the last 20 years. There is so much to learn from the life of Putin in Russia, forget the lies of democracy, have you wondered how Putin has remained in power since 1999 in a country like Russia full of Warlords and Drug mafias? You think is because he can bully everybody?.
Putin is inarguably one of the greatest politicians on Earth, maybe you need to read about him.

May Nigeria and Osun state succeed.