When the Elephants Fight, the Grass Gets Trampled

HighLife

Things are happening in Nigeria. With the tango between Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola and All Progressives Congress (APC) foreman, Senator Bola Tinubu, it might be more accurate to say that things are happening in Osun State. Yet, while the dance of elephants is both a sad and exciting sight, one must sigh at the implications. Case in point: the trampling of the odds of Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s possible re-election.

Say what you may about the people of Osun, Aregbesola’s influence is not something to frown at. Since the man came to power in 2010 and left eight years later, he has beat his chest in pride time and again and claimed to understand Osun citizens. This is especially so for the members of his APC. Now that he has taken a spear against another influential figure, Tinubu, what is to become of the people’s loyalty to one or the other?

Will Osun APC choose to bend the knee to Aregbesola or Tinubu? That remains to be seen. More pressing is the issue with Governor Oyetola who seems to be on the side of Tinubu and is reportedly unapologetically opposed to Aregbesola’s calculations.

Aregbesola’s move against Tinubu came as a surprise to many Nigerians a few days ago. The minister launched a diatribe against Tinubu, stating that the latter carried himself as God and has consequently stopped thinking well of them (Aregbesola’s camp). And while Aregbesola did not mention his successor in his speech, any sharp onlooker would understand his points.

Tinubu endeared Oyetola to Aregbesola. While the latter pair had a good run, it has been something of a cat-and-mouse game since Oyetola took over from Aregbesola. So Aregbesola’s recent arrows are not only likely to strike at Tinubu’s presidential ambition but also Oyetola’s re-election bid.

Perhaps Oyetola will pull through with or without Tinubu and get his second term in office. What is sure at the moment is that his loyalty to the ‘Lion of Bourdillon’ has turned him into a training wheel for verbal missiles.