Jul 31, 2026

Aregbesola Breaks Silence: My Tinubu Differences Were Personal, Never Criticised Him in North

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in politics

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Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Interior Minister, has publicly drawn a careful line between personal disagreements and public opposition to President Bola Tinubu.

In a video that quickly circulated on social media on Friday, 31 July 2026, the veteran politician stated: “I only had differences with Tinubu, but I never spoke against him in the North.”

The remarks, captured during what appears to be a public or party engagement, mark one of Aregbesola’s clearest attempts to reframe his break with the man who once served as his political mentor.

Aregbesola, who governed Osun State from 2010 to 2018 and later served as Minister of the Interior, was for decades one of Tinubu’s closest allies within progressive politics in the Southwest.

Their relationship began in the 1990s and survived multiple political transitions until it fractured in the years leading up to and following the 2023 elections.

Aregbesola’s insistence that he never attacked Tinubu in the North carries particular weight in Nigeria’s regionally sensitive politics. The North remains a critical electoral battleground.

By emphasizing that his criticisms stayed outside that zone, Aregbesola appears to be protecting any remaining political capital in a part of the country where Tinubu has worked hard to consolidate support.

The statement comes against a backdrop of open hostility. After defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the ADC in 2025, Aregbesola has repeatedly criticized the Tinubu administration.

Earlier in 2026 he labelled the president’s “Renewed Hope” agenda a “scam” and called for Tinubu’s resignation over insecurity and economic hardship.

The Presidency responded sharply at the time, dismissing Aregbesola’s record as both governor and minister.

Online reactions to the latest video have been mixed. Some users expressed scepticism, pointing to Aregbesola’s earlier public criticisms of Tinubu in the Southwest and elsewhere.

Others viewed the clarification as a pragmatic political move as Nigeria’s opposition forces continue to realign ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The ADC, under the interim leadership of former Senate President David Mark as National Chairman and Aregbesola as National Secretary, is positioning itself as a potential third force.

The video itself shows Aregbesola speaking calmly into a bank of microphones, gesturing deliberately as he delivers the line that has now dominated political discussion.

The measured tone contrasts with the sharper language he has used against the government in recent months.

For long-time observers of Southwest politics, the episode underscores how personal and political loyalties in Nigeria rarely end cleanly.

What began as a close partnership that helped propel both men to high office has become another chapter in the country’s fluid, often bitter, realignment of elite alliances.

Whether Aregbesola’s latest clarification softens perceptions in the North or simply adds another layer of complexity remains to be seen as the 2027 race gathers pace.

The statement has already been widely shared and debated across Nigerian social media platforms, ensuring that the old partnership between Tinubu and Aregbesola will continue to draw scrutiny in the months ahead.