Diekola Lacks Capacity to Send Aregbesola Back to Lagos – Baderinwa

• Says There is No Crisis in Osun APC

By Abdulrofiu Agboola

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Mr Adelani Baderinwa has dismissed the insinuation that there is crisis in the party, saying that the party is strong and undivided.

Baderinwa in a live programme on a private radio station on Friday said the outburst of a leader of the party, Alhaji Fatai Diekola against Governor Rauf Aregbesola does not mean the party is in crisis, explaining that the APC leader only expressed his opinion.

Adelani Baderinwa

Diekola had recently declared that he and some of his co-travelers in ‘the liberation front’ were ready to give Aregbesola a tough fight on the 2018 governorship ticket of the party, claiming that they brought the governor to Osun and they would send him back to Lagos.

Reacting to Diekola’s statement, Baderinwa said it was untrue that he brought Aregbesola to Osun, adding that the APC chieftain lacks the capacity to send back Aregbesola to Lagos.

Disclosing that Diekola met the governor in December 2005, Baderinwa stated that the APC chieftain joined ‘a victory bound train of Aregbesola who had substantially registered his political presence in the state.

He said: “What is happening in Osun APC is nothing near crisis; there is bound to be disagreement among members of party, groups, family even between husband and wife that does not amount to divorse. Alhaji Fatai Diekola merely expressed his opinion about what is obtainable and you cannot crucify him for that, but the veracity of that statement is what we need to examine.

“Number one, his claim that he brought Aregbesola to Osun is far from the truth, he cannot make that claim. Two, that he would send Aregbesola back to Lagos; I do not think he has that capacity. So, what we have presently is mere issue that would be settled.

“I remember that Diekola joined a victory bound train of Aregbesola. He was taken to Aregbesola in December 2005 when the governor had had heavy presence in Osun politics and mobilized people to the extent of launching his political group, Oranmiyan in all part of the state. Oranmiyan was intimidating that the state government then did not want it, but Oranmiyan was embraced by the people of the state and the government could not do anything.

“It was after that that Diekola who was sent out of PDP like many others had to look for alternative platform, and the only credible platform then was the Oranmiyan. Diekola was taken to Aregbesola and a person who wanted to win election could not reject anybody.

“It is immodest for Diekola to claim that he brought Aregbesola to Osun, I am aware that in 2002, when Otunba Iyiola Omisore was about to be impeached, Aregbesola’s name was part of the people penciled down. So, if somebody was thinking of Aregbesola becoming a deputy governor in 2002, somebody who joined Aregbesola in 2005 could not claim he brought him to Osun.”

Speaking on the financial commitment of Aregbesola to Diekola’s health, Baderinwa maintained that it was not out of place for the governor to assist the APC chieftain, disclosing that he (Diekola) had been benefiting from the governor’s kindness since 2006.

Baderinwa, a former chief press secretary to former governor Bisi Akande, said he was unaware of any monthly or quarterly medical allowance for the APC chieftain from either the governor or the government. He disclosed that Aregbesola had been using his personal money to take care of Diekola’s health before he became the governor of Osun State.

When asked what he knows about ‘home based and Lagos based groups in the state’ Baderinwa said it was unreasonable for anybody to refer to Aregbesola as Lagos politician.

He said: “When Aregbesola was planning to contest in Osun, these people who are shouting home based and Lagos based were all running to him in Lagos to collect money. They were not calling him Lagos politician then, how come they are making issues out of none now? We need to think straight and be reasonable in whatever we say.”