Following the exit of the former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, from the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Osun, his Media Assistant, Sola Fasure, has said the relationship between his principal and President Bola Tinubu is mutually beneficial. 
  
Fasure contended that Aregbesola made Tinubu’s political journey seamless by being instrumental to his emergence as a Senator for Lagos West Senatorial District in 1991and later governor of the state.  
  
Featuring on private radio, Rave FM, during its current affairs programme, Frank Talk, in Osogbo, Osun State, yesterday, he recalled what led to the downfall of APC in the state.  
  
He noted that the party is no longer popular in the state because of the way its leadership ostracised its strong members from affairs of the party. However, Mr Babatunde Jamiu, an erstwhile Special Adviser on Education to former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, who also featured on the programme, countered Fasure, arguing that Aregbesola was a political neophyte when he met Tinubu.
  
Fasure had described his principal as a political bride who makes political gladiators across the country want to associate with him, noting that allies of ex-governor, Oyetola, portrayed Aregbesola and his loyalists as threats, hence he was ill-advised to oust them from party affairs. 
  
According to him, ‘’the relationship between Tinubu and Aregbesola is mutually beneficial. Aregbesola was the one who made Tinubu a Senator in 1991. I am saying this authoritatively; anyone with a contrary opinion should come out openly.   
   
“When Tinubu retired from Mobil Oil and joined politics to be a senator, it was Aregbesola that he ran to.
  
“Aregbesola was an already established politician in Lagos at that time. Tinubu needed a Social Democratic Party (SDP) ticket at that time for Lagos West. It was Aregbesola he went to meet and he delivered it to him (Tinubu). When he wanted to be the governor, it was Aregbesola he first called.
  
“He helped him get the AD ticket, Afenifere wanted Funso Williams to be the Lagos governor at that time; he upturned that and helped him deliver the election.”
  
Dismissing the claim of Fasure, Babatunde averred: “Aregbesola was nothing when he met Tinubu. Tinubu contested for Senator, he won but Aregbesola contested for House of Representative and lost. Aregbesola is the best loser of the election. He never won all local councils in Ijesa land as governor.  
   
“APC narrowly escaped defeat in 2018; after, he has dissociated himself from APC since 2021. Aregbesola started campaigning against Tinubu in 2021. He shifted his allegiance to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Ademola Adeleke.