Former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola has held a ‘strategic meeting’ with the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso in Lagos.
The meeting held at Aregbesola’s residence in Lagos, on Saturday, came days after he was expelled from the ruling All Progessives Congress (APC).
In a social media post, Kwankwaso said they met to discuss national issues.
“This evening, I had the pleasure to visit the former Governor of Osun State and former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, at his residence in Lagos.
“The meeting afforded us the opportunity to engage in discussions on national politics, governance, and the future of Nigeria’s democratic landscape. – RMK,” he wrote on X.
Aregbesola, who led Osun State for two terms, had spearheaded a faction within the APC known as The Osun Progressives which was later rebranded as the Omoluabi Caucus was explled from the APC on January 29, 2024, over anti-party activities.
The letter which confirmed his expulsion and titled “Allegations of Anti-Party Activities – Conveyance of State Exco Decision to You,” accused him of breaching Article 21 of the party’s constitution, which outlines disciplinary measures for members.
The letter read in part, “At the end of the investigation, the State Executive Committee (SEC) considered the report of the Disciplinary Committee. Having carefully reviewed the findings and recommendations, the SEC resolved to approve your immediate expulsion from the APC.
“The decision was predicated on clear evidence of your actions, which undermined the unity and integrity of the party. As a result, you are no longer a member of the APC and must refrain from holding yourself out as one or acting on behalf of the party in any capacity.”
The development comes days after Omoluabi Progressives, Aregbesola’s political group, left the APC.
The spokesperson of the group, Abosede Oluwaseun, had said members resolved to quit APC because of “ostracisation from the party, suspension and expulsion of leaders without fair hearing, and continuous denigration of the structure”.
The Omoluabi Progressives bacame of faction of Osun APC after Aregbesola, a former protege of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, fell out with the president over the second-term governorship ambition of Gboyega Oyetola.
Recall that Oyetola succeeded Aregbesola as the governor of Osun state before the former was appointed as minister by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Arebesola’s group worked against Oyetola, the current minister of Marine and Blue Economy in the 2022 Osun governorship which saw the emergence of Ademola Adeleke as the current governor.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, Kwankwaso was a two-term governor of Kano and a former minister.
He was the Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections.
