There was a mild drama at the South-West All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirants and leaders meeting on Friday.
Saturday PUNCH reports impeccable sources at the meeting as saying that the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, pointedly refused to shake the party’s National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore’s hand or sit next to him and Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola.
The meeting was convened by the former interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, and a former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba.
The crisis between Aregbesola and Oyetola became public knowledge after the minister opposed the governor’s second term bid.
When Aregbesola was about to have his seat at the meeting, he asked the Governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, “Governor of Lagos, where is my seat?”
Sanwo-Olu replied, “Sir, (it is) beside Baba – Omisore.”
After Aregbesola’s objection, others at the meeting subsequently intervened by declaring free sitting in a short video that surfaced online.
However, Aregbesola greeted Bola Tinubu and was embraced by both Akande and Osoba, including others, when he arrived at the meeting.
“Aregbesola was expected to sit down next to Omisore and Oyetola, but he refused to associate with them, deciding instead to sit far off. Attempts by the elders to make Aregbesola change his mind proved abortive as he said he didn’t want to be associated with Omisore,” one of the sources told Saturday PUNCH.
When contacted on Saturday, Sola Fasure, the Media Adviser to Aregbesola, said he could not comment on the matter because he was not at the meeting.
The meeting was convened by the former interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, and a former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba.
Also at the meeting were the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Niyi Adebayo; governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo, and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun.
Others include a former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; a former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Moses Adeyemo; and a former National Vice Chairman of the APC, South-West Zone, Chief Pius Akinyelure.
At the meeting, Akande called on all aspirants and governors to ensure that they carry on with their campaigns with decorum.
The APC chieftain was said to have called on them to put the interest of the South-West first and ensure that they would not lose the ticket at the primary, which comes up at the end of the month.
A source said, “Baba Akande said it is better for one of us to have the Presidency than for none of us to have it. He said we should carry on our campaigns with decorum. The ultimate goal is to have a small number of aspirants through consensus. However, this will be discussed in subsequent meetings.
“Everything was done to ensure that the impression was not given that Baba Akande was supporting anyone. They also will encourage consensus among all aspirants in order to strengthen the unity of the Yoruba,” he said.
When asked why Bakare, Bankole and Boroffice were not invited, he said, “A list was given to Niyi Adebayo to invite people. I think all these people you mentioned had not yet declared as of the time this meeting was put together.
