By abiodun KOMOLAFE
That I hesitated to write this piece is intentional. That I’ve decided to write it now is also deliberate. I’ll explain both reasons when the time is right.
I have met Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now President of Nigeria, a few times, but one meeting that stands out was at Lagos City Hall, in 2010. It was during the ‘Oodua, Know Thyself’ programme organized by the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), where I served as the Administrative Secretary at the time.
Our paths had also crossed earlier at Chief Bisi Akande’s 70th birthday celebration in Ila-Orangun, Osun State, on January 16, 2009. I attended that event in my capacity as the ARG Administrative Secretary as well. I vividly remember even shaking hands with the Asiwaju of Lagos.
I didn’t know Rauf Aregbesola, but my support for him over other contenders for the political soul of Osun State was based on principle. One event led to another and we eventually met a few times before his re-election bid.
My first encounter with Gboyega Oyetola, then Chief of Staff (COS) to Governor Aregbesola, was in 2014. It was during the buildup to the Osun governorship election, in which Aregbesola was seeking reelection on the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket. I had expressed my interest in monitoring the election. The governor gave his blessing and told me to ‘go and see’ his COS.
In 2015 or thereabouts, I visited Governor Aregbesola with Bola Ilori. During our visit, I was deeply moved hearing Aregbesola speak glowingly about Tinubu. He told us he had no bank account and lived day-to-day. He even recounted a time when he was broke, and “Asiwaju gave” him “the N5 million” he was “spending”, adding he’d “not hesitate to go back to” him if it ran out. For me, this fraternal bond was truly remarkable.
Fast forward to October 5, 2016. I wrote an article titled, ‘Is Tinubu right or wrong?’, which was a full-page publication in a national daily. This piece followed attacks on the Jagaban of Borgu for calling for John Odigie-Oyegun’s resignation as APC National Chairman. Two days later, Aregbesola phoned me and thanked me for the article. That phone call led to me becoming a member of his media team as a Senior Special Assistant on Media, a position I held until November 26, 2018.
In 2017, I visited Oyetola to passionately plead with him to resolve some lingering disagreements within the governor’s Media Team. The feud was already gaining traction and threatened to affect our productivity. After visiting him on the same matter three times, the COS told me on my fourth visit that he needed his principal’s approval before he could do anything. I’ve also heard Aregbesola describe Oyetola as “richer than me”, “well read and sound upstairs,” and “not coming into office as Osun governor to steal”.
On December 4, 2020, Oyetola appointed me as an SSA in his media team. I held this position until November 26, 2022. During this time, a profound bond formed between us, growing into a lasting father-son relationship that continues to this day.
During his tenure as Osun State Governor, I often witnessed Aregbesola stand at attention, with his right hand on his chest, whenever the anthem, ‘On your mandate we shall stand’, was chanted. I also heard him say on multiple occasions that, after God and his mother, Tinubu was the next most important person in his life.
I even learned that Asiwaju so trusted Rauf that he’s one of the few lieutenants who could enter his bedroom at any time. In return, Rauf was always prepared to lay down his life for Asiwaju’s interests. This loyalty was evident at the Lagos City Hall event, where Aregbesola and Sola Ebiseni, a representative of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, nearly came to blows. Only the timely intervention of Dimeji Bankole, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Fola Adeola, a co-founder of GTBank, prevented a fight.
Why is it necessary to discuss a link among Tinubu, Aregbesola and Oyetola as well as any attempt to prevent or end any perceived schism amongst them? It is important because they represent a current of thinking, not just in the Southwest but nationally.
With Tinubu’s emergence during the fight for democracy, a once-dormant, dominant tradition was reignited in Yorubaland. This rich ideological framework, which Tinubu, Aregbesola and Oyetola are the custodians of, is worth reviving. Bringing its standard-bearers back together is crucial because they represent a unique approach to sociopolitical and economic development. If they are the true heirs of the Yoruba renaissance, what is the relevance of the “two-fighting” that Yorubaland is now immersed in?
The Yoruba tradition, which predates the 1886 Ekiti-Parapo War Treaty, is built on principles similar to the ‘Social Market Economy’ concept later popularized in post-war Western Germany. This approach, echoed in the APC’s 2023 presidential manifesto, has roots in the 1948 Afenifere position and the 1951 Action Group manifesto to ‘Make Life More Abundant.’ This powerful tradition is too significant to be obscured by internal disputes among its proven bearers.
The conventional wisdom is that Tinubu’s tenure will end in 2031. But the need for the Southwest’s political and economic development is eternal. This raises key questions about the framework and ideological direction after 2031. Disputes about strategies and tactics are inevitable in any political camp, anywhere in the world, and at any time in history. Rather than papering over the cracks, a thorough examination is necessary to permanently end the schism.
The decision to establish the South West Development Commission (SWDC) is a masterstroke for the region. With the untimely death of institutions like the Cooperative Bank, the Western Nigeria Development Corporation (WNDC), and the Western Nigerian Finance Corporation (WNFC), the Southwest has been deprived of crucial financial capital for decades.
The emergence of the SWDC, led by Olu Adetunmbi and Charles Akinola, offers hope for reigniting a fundamental development thrust. Without a robust capital mobilization mechanism, the region will likely continue to underperform, which would be tragic given its vast potential and growing population.
The president deserves commendation for this game-changing intervention. It will be remembered in positive ways by economic historians in fifty or more years down the road. This is why the focus should be on the long-term development of the Southwest rather than on temporary disenchantments.
Since 1999, Tinubu has evolved into a pivotal historic persona, it is imperative that he now leverages his avuncular mien to rally the progressive forces in the Southwest around the banner of progress. As of today, nobody else has the clout to do so!
May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!
*KOMOLAFE wrote from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk; 08033614419 – SMS only)