In politics, it is said that there are no permanent friends or enemies but what remains permanent is the interest of players in the murky terrain. This aptly describes the recent visit of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to Osun State Governor, Mr. Raufu Aregbesola.
The visit which took the political class and a cross section of residents by surprise, attracted a crowd that struggled to catch a glimpse of the former president and possibly ascertain his mission in the state governed by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)-led administration of Aregbesola.
Donning a light green guinea brocade material with a cap to match, Obasanjo who also led a high-powered delegation of the Owu Development Foundation to the governor, told his host that, “you have successfully ambushed me.”
Prior to the visit, it is a known fact that the two men belong to two diametrically opposed political camps regarded as overtly hostile to one another in the politics of the South West.
Aregbesola has in recent times been echoing the sentiments of his boss and benefactor, Senator Bola Tinubu, to lampoon the Owu-Egba born former leader.
His grouse, as espoused at different platforms, is that (rightly or wrongly), Obasanjo did not utilize his position to the benefit of the people of the South West zone.
Being a vocal personage, Aregbesola had never hidden his displeasure over the eight years rule of the Ota based farmer, saying rather than serve as an avenue for progress, his eight years set the region back by 20 years.
With such perceived belligerent disposition, watchers of the political scene had reckoned that the possibility of the two arriving at a mutually acceptable ground seems far-fetched but the recent visit to Aregbesola in his office in Osogbo has put paid to such suggestions.
Obasanjo whom sources say had gone to Orile-Owu, the homestead of the Owu speaking people, to help resolve a chieftaincy dispute, did what could be termed the unthinkable when he not only went into the warm embrace of his host, but also used the opportunity provided by the visit to unveil the bust of the late Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief James Ajibola Ige, erected at the front gate of the governor’s office located in Abere area of the state capital.
Apart from the fact that the visibly elated host was happy to receive his guest, he caused a mild drama when he requested Obasanjo to help perform the official unveiling of Ige’s bust which was specially made to replace the old one.
Prior to that, the wily former president had told the governor who had other officers of the state government joined him in welcoming the ‘august guest’ that he was in the state with a specific mandate to mediate in the chieftaincy dispute that has divided the state into two with a view to find a lasting solution to end the series of litigations that had arisen over the selection process of the new traditional ruler.
For the records, the late monarch of the town, Oba M.O. A. Adejobi, passed on in 2010 following a ghastly road accident which also claimed the life of his wife. So, being the most prominent Owu leader, Obasanjo said he could not fold his arms when his people contacted him to intervene in the lingering tussle in the community.
When he took up the microphone to speak, Aregbesola extolled Obasanjo’s virtues, describing him as a man whom every Yorubaman should be proud of, a sharp contrast to what he had said of him a few months ago. In fact, throughout the duration of his speech which lasted about 30 minutes, he was on his feet.
Governor Aregbesola said the state government holds the former president in high esteem, a reason he was accorded the honour he rightly deserved by being asked to unveil the statue of Ige erected at the entrance to the governor’s office.
According to the governor, “it is not for nothing that Chief Obasanjo is a Yoruba person. As a Yorubaman, we must be proud of his achievements,” saying that his advocacy for true federalism and freedom was in tandem with the philosophy of the people of the area for equity.
He said that once people from other ethnic nationalities recognise in the Yoruba people a lover of federalism and freedom, they would find the Yoruba the best of people to befriend and be with.“Yoruba, thrive on federalism. What I want the country to know is the fact that as far as our autonomy and freedom are recognized, we could be the best any people could have as neighbours.”
With those words, a new vista of cooperation or alliance might just be in the offing between the two seeming political foes in the build-up to the 2015 polls; whether that would be remains to be seen just as time will tell.