The Presidency has reacted to the alleged rift between the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.
It was widely speculated that Tinubu and Aregbesola have been at loggerheads over the control of the party bin Lagos state following the dissolution of Mandate Group and Justice Forum.
But in his weekly column via his Facebook page on Thursday, Adesina described the alleged rift as a “mere distraction”.
He revealed that the speculation came a day Aregbesola was said to give an account of his ministry at the Federal Executive Council meeting.
Adesina wrote, “Wednesday, June 10, 2020, was ‘judgment day’ for Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. Incidentally, the day had broken with stories of denials of a rift between him and his political mentor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former two-term Governor of Lagos State, and National Leader of All Progressives Congress.
“The APC had outlawed all party sub-groups in Lagos, where Aregbesola had his political foundations, and still maintains a stranglehold, despite having been a two-term Governor in Osun State.
“The buzz was that the Minister was possibly eyeing the Presidency in 2023, a diadem also reportedly coveted by his mentor, so the rug had to be pulled off under his feet early enough. Frost followed. Cold War, said the rumor mills.
“Strident denials came from the Tinubu and Aregbesola camps. And it was mere distraction for the Minister, as he had a huge assignment ahead of him on that same Wednesday. It was his turn to brief the Federal Executive Council, headed by President Muhammadu Buhari, on his stewardship, since assuming office in August last year.”
