SAMUEL ALONGE
Contrary to a wild speculation that the Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, is warming up to return to Lagos
and vie for Lagos West senatorial seat next year, the governor is actually yet to decide on his next line of action.
A close aide to Aregbesola and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Hon. Dipo Okeyomi, declared this to our correspondent at the weekend.
Aregbesola, who will end his second term in November this year, is reportedly saddled with the task of installing his chief of staff, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola (a nephew to the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu) with a promise of Lagos senatorial seat, come next year.
The current senator representing Lagos West, Olamilekan Adeola, famously known as Yayi, is relocating to Ogun State, to contest for governor.
But disputing the speculation, Okeyomi said, “I was with Oga (Aregbesola) three days ago and he told me that once he leaves Osun as governor, he will return to Lagos to strengthen the party as a Leader; and not necessarily to come and contest for any position.
“In actual fact, we are all waiting for him in Lagos, to bring his wealth of experience to bear on our ongoing campaigns for the second term aspiration of Governor Akinwumi Ambode.”
Okeyomi, who is the coordinator of The Change Agent, a pressure group within the Lagos APC, said there was no truth in the claim that the Osun governor was asked install his chief of staff in barter for Lagos APC senatorial ticket.
He noted, “The Osun governor is not somebody you can treat like a robot, in which you ask him to install somebody as governor in Osun in order to become a senator in Lagos.
“Those who had interacted with him will agree with me that Aregbesola is someone you need to put on your thinking cap before approaching.”
Okeyomi, however, said there was nothing wrong in Aregbesola coming back to Lagos to contest for Senate but that such a decision should be left for him to take.
“As far as I know, Aregbesola is pre-eminently qualified to come and contest for a Lagos senate seat because he had spent many years in Lagos and was a two-term commissioner in the state.
“In fact, he was the only commissioner for works throughout Nigeria during his time, who did not have any property anywhere. He spent all his time working and he left Lagos for Osun with his integrity intact,”
Okeyomi applauded.
He particularly said Aregbesola’s loyalists in Lagos could not wait to welcome him back, “especially those in Alimosho, where he remains an institution.”