Who Bewitched Aregbesola? The Falling Out of a Trusted Ally and the Tragedy of Political Betrayal
Editor's note: In this piece, Dr. ’Toks Oguntuga, political analyst and communication expert, recounts how Rauf Aregbesola rose through Tinubu’s support only to break away in dramatic fashion. His analysis shows a painful story of ambition, loyalty, and betrayal in Nigerian politics.
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A peasant made prince
Once upon a not-so-distant time, Rauf Aregbesola was a struggling technician, a humble man who mended refrigerators and air conditioners in Lagos, eking out a living in the shadows of obscurity. By the invisible hands of fate, or more accurately, by the benevolent reach of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rauf was lifted from obscurity into relevance.
Source: Twitter
In 1999, Tinubu, then Governor of Lagos State, appointed him Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, a position he held for an unprecedented eight years. It was not merely an appointment; it was an elevation. A political anointing.
From there, Tinubu did not stop. He cleared the path for Aregbesola to contest the Osun State governorship, a battle Tinubu financed, fought, and won for him. Again, eight years of uninterrupted power. And when the gubernatorial mantle passed, Tinubu’s political structure stood behind his appointment as a federal minister under President Muhammadu Buhari.
That’s 24 years of continuous political relevance, a legacy only possible through the unwavering trust, investment, and mentorship of one man: Tinubu.
The godfather and the knife
Yet, in a stunning twist of Shakespearian betrayal, the very man who was once so trusted that Tinubu could allegedly say:
“If you see me asleep and you see Rauf coming to me with a knife in his hands, don’t stop him or wake me.” — Prof. Adeyeye (former Senator)
…is the same man who, in the heat of political ambition and wounded pride, turned the proverbial knife.
When Tinubu supported Gboyega Oyetola, his cousin, as Aregbesola’s successor in Osun, a storm of resentment brewed in Aregbesola’s heart. Rather than submit to the democratic will of his political structure or show the humility of a statesman, he openly turned against his benefactor. He mocked, derided, and accused Tinubu of “playing God.”
This is not dissent. This is desecration.
This was not ideological divergence. This was naked treachery.
Aregbesola did not merely disagree; he defected. He abandoned the party and camp that fed, nurtured, and made him. He joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a move calculated to weaken his former party and sabotage the political destiny of his long-time benefactor.
The collapse of moral credibility
To those who defend Aregbesola, I ask: What moral standing can a man claim who turns his back on the very ladder that lifted him?
Leadership demands character. Integrity. Gratitude. Even in disagreement, there is a path of honour. That path does not include public calumny or political sabotage.
Aregbesola had the political right to be disappointed, but he had no moral right to weaponize that disappointment into betrayal.
The breakdown of logic
If Tinubu is indeed the godfather, the mastermind, and the architect of Aregbesola’s political life, as every historical fact supports, what logic compels one to bite the very hand that built him?
How can one justify burning the bridge after safely crossing the river?
Political succession is never a birthright. It is a negotiation. A consensus. A privilege, not an entitlement. That Aregbesola would turn against his political home simply because he did not get to anoint his own successor is not only immature, it is antithetical to democratic politics.
Source: Twitter
The tragedy of it all
This is more than a political squabble. It is a tragic story of ingratitude.
A man loved, trusted, and empowered, turning into a rebel with no just cause. The pain is not just Tinubu’s; it is every mentor’s nightmare. It is every father’s heartbreak. It is every organization’s risk when loyalty is measured only by convenience.
We recall the years of loyalty, the photographs of unity, the speeches of mutual admiration, and now contrast them with a bitter, divided legacy. The tragedy is not that they disagreed. It is that Rauf forgot.
So, who Bewitched Aregbesola?
Was it ambition? Was it pride? Was it an illusion of independence? Or was it the age-old disease of power making men forget their origins?
Only Rauf can truly answer that. But we, as Nigerians, as observers, as professionals, and as future leaders, must take a clear lesson:
Loyalty must never be seasonal. Gratitude must never be optional. And betrayal must never be normalized.
In the corridors of politics, as in life, there will always be disagreements. But there must also be decorum, fidelity, and above all, gratitude.
The Rauf Aregbesola saga is not just a political fallout; it is a cautionary tale.
Let no man rise so high that he forgets the hand that held him up. For in the end, history remembers not only those who climbed but those who kicked away the ladder after reaching the top.
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” — Cicero
And ingratitude? It is the silent dagger in the back of trust
Dr. 'Toks Oguntuga is a seasoned academic researcher, strategic communication expert, political analyst, and speechwriter with a PhD in Presidential Crisis Rhetoric and over a decade of experience in high-stakes political and communication environments.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
