Rauf Aregbesola, Minister for Interior and a former governor of Osun State, did not participate in the ongoing state governorship election.
POLITICS NIGERIA learned that Aregbesola, who is feuding with incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola, travelled out to Germany. He had also missed the All Progressives Congress (APC) rallies in the build-up to Saturday’s election.
Aregbesola left Nigeria on Friday to attend a conference slated for Monday in Germany by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), sources have confirmed.
On Saturday morning, there was free bean cake (akara) for people at Aregbesola’s home in Ilesa.
While the voters expect Aregbesola, akara is being shared at the entrance of his residence.
The former Lagos State Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure usually votes in Ilesa East, Ward 8, Polling Unit 1, but he is absent today.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 15 political parties are participating in the Osun State election 2022 with 1,955,657 registered voters.
INEC also said the election would take place in 332 registration areas across the 30 Local Government Areas of the state.
Though 15 political parties would be participating in the election, the top contenders are the candidate of the APC, Governor Oyetola; and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ademola Adeleke. Both men are contesting for the second time.
Voting is still ongoing at the various polling units as of the time of publishing this report.
THE SOUR BITTER LOSER HAS BECOME IRRELEVANT AND INCONSEQUENTIAL IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS IN THE POLITICS OF THE STATE OF Osun.
What political value would he have brought to bear in the exercise? NONE!