By Abiola Olawale
The strained relationship between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has once again come under the spotlight, as veteran politician and academic, professor. Olusola Adeyeye revealed his persistent attempts to mend what appears to be a strained bond between the two influential figures in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Speaking during an interview session with the Channels TV, Adeyeye, a former Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate recounted how Tinubu and Aregbesola used to be so close before their fallout.
He said: “If you want to get between Aregbesola and Tinubu, you’ll fail; they are so close that I was at a meeting where Tinubu said that if you see him sleeping and you see Rauf coming with a dagger or a knife, don’t wake him, Rauf will never injure me.”
Despite their once close relationship, it is no longer news that President Tinubu and Aregbesola have since fallen out.
Tinubu and Aregbesola have long been allies within the All Progressives Congress (APC). Tinubu, often regarded as a political kingmaker, has been credited for mentoring Aregbesola during his tenure as Lagos State Governor and supported his rise to prominence, including his governorship of Osun State from 2010 to 2018 and his subsequent appointment as Minister of Interior under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Their bond, however, has been tested in recent years. Some sources suggest that Aregbesola’s handling of some political matters in Osun State, as well as the immediate past Governor of Osun State Gboyega Oyetola’s disrespect, betrayal of Aregbesola, created friction between Tinubu and his once trusted ally.
Despite these challenges, Adeyeye said he had initiated multiple private meetings and discussions to address their differences, all of which he said were futile.
He added: “I have made several attempts to mend the relationship between President Tinubu and Rauf Aregbesola. Their bond is one forged over years of mutual respect and shared struggles. It is not my place to disclose the specifics of their disagreements, but I believe firmly that their friendship is worth saving—not just for their sake, but for the sake of the party and the nation.”
