Osun 2022: Aregbesola Disowns ‘Unauthorised’ Statement Reacting To Oyetola’s Loss

Minister of Interior and former Governor of Osun State, South West Nigeria, Rauf Aregbesola has deleted a statement he made earlier reacting to Gboyega Oyetola’s loss in the state’s governorship election.

Gatekeepers News reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared Ademola Adeleke of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the governorship election earlier on Sunday.

In an apparent reaction to Oyetola’s loss, Aregbesola suggested that only God chooses those who rule over men. The incumbent governor and the minister are not on good terms.

The minister, in the now-deleted Facebook post said, “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. – (Daniel 4:17).”

However, Aregbesola disowned the statement a few hours after it was sent out to thousands of his followers.

The former governor, in a statement, by his Media Adviser, Sola Fasure, said the now-deleted post wasn’t authorised.

The statement read, “It has come to the attention of the media office of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, that an unauthorised message was posted on his Verified Twitter and Facebook Pages at about 8:00am on Sunday 17th July, 2022.

“The unauthorised messages have now been deleted. Members of the public, especially the media, are advised to ignore!.”

Recall that Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, made a similar U-turn in May.

The former vice president had reacted to the killing of Deborah Samuel who was accused of blasphemy in Sokoto.

Atiku tweeted, “There cannot be a justification for such gruesome murder. Deborah Yakubu was murdered and all those behind her death must be brought to justice. My condolences to her family and friends.”

However, the tweet was soon taken down, generating a lot of social media backlash.

“This evening I received information that a post was made that doesn’t agree with my orders. I use this to announce that any post without AA is not from me. May God protect – AA,” the PDP presidential candidate had said.