A former senator who represented Osun Central in the 9th Senate, Senator Ajibola Basiru on Wednesday hit hard on the former minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola saying he has betrayed the All Progressive Congress (APC) political party that made him politically.
Senator Basiru who expressed displeasure with the way and manner the former minister had jettisoned and isolated himself from the party activities, said with this, he has not portrayed himself as a genuine party member.
Speaking during a valedictory press conference at his campaign office in Osogbo, the Lawmaker insisted that, with Aregbesola’s action, he has undermined the platform he used to climb a ladder for his political attainments.
“Aregbesola was not among the leaders who were still in the party because he had not been participating in the party activities. ”
“He normally referees Tinubu as his mentor. The mentor he did not support to emerge as the party candidate for the presidential election. He was not around throughout the campaign periods to support his acclaimed mentor, talkless of coming to cast his vote for him. He has betrayed the leaders, elders and members of the party.”
“I can say today that the leaders of our party are Baba Bisi Akande and Gboyega Oyetola. Journalists, you can verify, we have had four important processes leading to the general elections.”
“There were the primaries that brought Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Eagles Square. You as journalists, go and ask those people that said they have tents and their leaders, what role did they play in the emergence of Asiwaju as the candidate of our party?”
“Even today, they claim Asiwaju is their mentor, he is your mentor but you did not deem it fit to support your mentor to emerge as the candidate of the APC. It is a moral question that they must answer, not me. I was at Eagles Square and for two years, I was visiting one part of the country without collecting any Kobo from anybody, working seriously for the emergence of Tinubu.”
“I was not the one that said so. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu contested on the same day that I contested the National Assembly election, our former Minister, former leader was not around to vote for his benefactor and mentor. It’s on record that he didn’t come to campaign, he didn’t come to support the party and he didn’t even come to cast his vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We also had the House of Assembly election, did he go to vote at that election? Did you see him near the perimeter fence at that place? So, nobody is aggrieved. ”
“I am not certainly aggrieved. We that are here are genuine members of the APC. So, these are the genuine members, those that are not genuine, go and ask them why they are not genuine. ”
“I told you the immediate past Minister of Interior was our leader but I don’t know which party he belongs to now. I don’t know, on a more serious note. Quote me, he was our leader but I don’t know which party he belongs to. For the past three elections, we have not seen him participating in any of our party’s activities.”
“So, I can’t mention somebody I don’t know. So, you can ask him which party he belongs to. Today, I am in APC, I worked for APC whether we win or lose. Go and ask him, which party did he vote for in the governorship election, which party did he vote for during the presidential election, which party did he vote for during the House of Assembly.”
“He was our leader, but today, I am not sure whether he is still within the party. I am not abusing him. Even Asiwaju, who is his benefactor, he didn’t vote for him. Is it a beneficiary that will now be angry that he didn’t support me during the election? I am not angry, the ex-Lawmaker concluded.
Meanwhile, the Senator represented Osun Central Senatorial District in the 9th Senate, while fielding questions on his relationship with the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, his country home, monarch, he said, he stayed aloof from him since, the royal father has over the time started acting as a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to him, “the monarch had ceased to act like royalty as his palace has been turned into a meeting point for the PDP and the monarch’s claim that I didn’t do anything for the palace as a senator was not true.”
“To put on record, I won in Osogbo and Olorunda Local Government. I won in Ward 1 unit 15 which is adjacent to the palace of Ataoja.
“I did not go to campaign in the palace of Ataoja because as far as I know him, he has ceased to act as a monarch. He is acting as a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
“I know today that it is his palace that they are holding a PDP meeting. I don’t have any personal quarrel with him.
“As a senator, I put a 45kv generator in his palace, I put in electrification and I supported the palace beautification project with a huge sum of money. I would not have mentioned it if he had not said I did not do anything for him.
“If he now feels that he wants to serve his masters in country home, Ede, he is free to do so. If he wants to be a politician, let him continue to do his politics.”