Adebayo Shittu, the former Minister of Communications under the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, has stated that the rift between President Bola Tinubu and his former protege, Rauf Aregbesola, was not about ministerial appointment.
Shittu, who was recently appointed as the pro-chancellor and chairman of the Dave Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences' governing council, maintained that what led to the break-up between the two was about who would be the next governor after Oyetola.
According to Shittu, Aregbesola, who also served as minister under Buhari, wanted to impose his chosen candidate as Osun governor, as against Gboyega Oyetola, who was the choice of President Tinubu, adding that it was this move to made the former minister become the critic of his political godfather.
The Oyo politician, who spoke in Yoruba in a trending video, recalled: “Before Asiwaju Tinubu endorsed Aregbesola for Osun state Governor, if he needs money, BAT will direct him to Oyetola. Oyetola is the one in charge of disbursement who made Aregbesola the Governor. If BAT didn't support Aregbe’s ambition, Aregbe wouldn’t have been a Governor”
Recall that the loss of Oyetola in the Osun governorship election marked the beginning of the feud between Aregbesola and President Tinubu. Aregbesola was caught in a video ahead of the election that Tinubu did not want what he did to the former governor of Lagos state, Akinwunmi Ambode, to happen to his brother, Oyetola.
This came after the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar-led coalition appointed former Senate President David Mark and Aregbesola as its acting National Chairman and Secretary of its adopted political party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking at its unveiling, Mark knocked the President Tinubu administration over what he described as "its failure to address the avalanche of challenges” confronting Nigeria, which included hunger, corruption, insecurity, poverty and many others.
Aregbesola has been criticised for dumping the camp of President Tinubu and is now willing for his major opposition, Atiku. The Atiku-led coalition has been positioning itself to sack President Tinubu in the 2027 election.
This revelation about Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is shocking and saddening🤦🏻♂️
— SALAWU||OMOIYAONIPAKO (@salawueedris1) July 4, 2025
“Before Asiwaju Tinubu endorsed Aregbesola for Osun state Governor if he needs money, BAT will direct him to Oyetola. Oyetola is the one in charge of disbursement that made Aregbesola the Governor. If BAT… pic.twitter.com/6rkeSLO7fa
