A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Lasun Yusuff, has said it would be difficult for a former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, to return to the state and dictate its pace of politics.
Yusuff, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, was reacting to a declaration by Aregbesola at a political event organised by the Omoluabi Caucus in Ilesa last Saturday.
The PUNCH had reported Aregbesola as saying at the event that, before the end of 2024, he would inform members of the Omoluabi Caucus his next move regarding Osun politics.
But Yusuff, while reacting to that claim by Aregbesola on a programme called ‘Oro Oselu’ aired on Rave FM, a private radio station in Osogbo, said the ex-governor was just struggling to provide political direction, but may not be able to achieve the feat again.
The ex-member of the House of Representatives representing Osogbo/Olorunda/Irepodun/Orolu Federal Constituency, who said Aregbesola became governor through collective leadership, added that he, presently, does not have that capacity to lead any political system in the state.
He however said he still loves the former Interior Minister being a good political associate and friend that enjoyed limelight at the same period.
Speaking in Yoruba language in a two minutes 38 seconds video of the interview which went viral on the social media, and obtained by PUNCH Online in Osogbo on Tuesday, Yusuff further said, “Aregbesola did his best in the struggle that secured power to govern the state for the progressives in quote.
“If he is facing challenges now, I can’t be happy about it. But the only thing I know is that he is only struggling to regain that form. It may be out of his reach. Collective leadership made him governor. Just as I was unable to get my desired position and I am not sad about it, it will not be easy for him to return to Osun and lead any political system again.
“It is the time to say the truth. He (Aregbesola) is someone that I love so much. I don’t know if he loves me same way. That he opposed my ambition to be governor of Osun and Speaker of House of Representatives are past issues.
“But, him saying he would declare his next political move is a lie. Dynamics are no longer the same. Things have changed. But I won’t say Aregbesola will no longer be relevant politically because I am not God.”
When contacted for reaction, Sola Fasure, who is the Media Adviser to Aregbesola, said, “In the last two years, he (Lasun Yusuff) has been in APC, PDP and Labour Party. He sought to contest the last governorship election in the state on the platform of the three parties but finally got the Labour Party’s ticket.
“He was in, out, in and out again of the defunct The Osun Progressives, praising and denouncing the group, blowing hot or cold, as he deemed fit. Whatever he says therefore is a function of his pursuit at the moment.
“If you recollect, he had viciously attacked Aregbesola at one time and at another praised him to high heaven. You should therefore situate his statement in light of what he had said about Aregbesola in the past.”
