 irrelevant politically in Osun was premeditated by those who believed the former would truncate Tinubu’s chances of winning the election.</p>
<p>His words, “To be clear, the relationship between Aregbesola and Tinubu began in the ill-fated Third Republic when Tinubu just joined politics and wanted to contest the Lagos West Senatorial primary election of the SDP. He needed a pointsman in Alimoso and was directed to Rauf Aregbesola, who not only won the primary but the election itself for him.</p>
<p>“But the author, out of ignorance of mischief deliberately cut this off the narrative, portraying Aregbesola as a scruffy upstart in Lagos politics.</p>
<p>“Again, to be clear, Oyetola was not the basis of their disagreement, but he was a player. THE ISSUE BETWEEN TINUBU AND AREGBESOLA WAS THE PERCEPTION OF TINUBU THAT AREGBESOLA WOULD CONTEST THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AGAINST HIM. If you don’t understand this, sorry, you are at sea on the matter and except you probe deeper, you will sink deep into ignorance.</p>
<p>“Oyetola played well his role to reverse Aregbesola’s works in Osun and deny him the platform of the state. This is just as Tinubu also folded up the Lagos platform, ostensibly to deny him any political base for the purported presidential ambition.</p>
<p>“But labelling anyone perfidious on matters of political choice has no place in a democracy which guarantees freedom of choice.</p>
<p>“People who make this kind of accusation are those Soyinka said have slavery in their DNA. For them, if your path crossed with someone, you are permanently trapped in their shadow and must not move on in your life again. This is a slavish mentality.</p>
<p>“Their disagreement is political and certainly not moral. It’s in monarchy that everyone is required to support the king, not so in a democracy,” Fasure noted..</p>
<p>He also berated actions of political gladiators referring to the Tinubu/Aregebsola disagreement as betrayal, stressing that feuds in such realms are purely political and not moral.</p>
<p>“Anyone formerly associated with Tinubu and not on his train now is a betrayer. Fashola, Ambode, Osinbajo, Ojudu etc. It’s a familiar script, the same dossier they hand over to the commissioned writers on the matter. In the end, it becomes what Soyinka calls ‘transparent subterfuge,” Aregbesola’s spokesperson explained further.</p>
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, then I gave him copious examples. I said if Mahama was not a VP to Prof Atta Mills, maybe he would never be President of Ghana because he came from a minority just like Jonathan in Nigeria,” he said.</p>
<p>“I gave the example of Jonathan, I gave the example in America. Even Joe Biden, who was much older than Obama, still came back to become president because you’re able to demonstrate your capacity.”</p>
<p>Despite the advice, Momodu said Obi was not convinced that such a political arrangement would benefit him.</p>
<p>“You’ve always been a governor of a state but Peter told me he’s more popular than Atiku,” Momodu stated.</p>
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“We have tried all kinds of permutations—northern candidates, Muslim-Muslim tickets, and so on. It seems to the average northerner that all this politics is about personalities and personal interests. It is not about people,” he said.Turning to Peter Obi, he said the former Anambra State governor had lost goodwill previously enjoyed in the North due to frequent party defections.
“He has moved to two or three parties. The question we ask is: what does he want?” he said.
He also criticised remarks attributed to Rabiu Kwankwaso, saying references to northern historical figures in political messaging were inappropriate.
“In the North, that is very irreverent. It would be highly delusional for him to go that far and say he presents an alternative.
“An alternative in terms of what? Has he articulated anything on the economy, security, or anything on infrastructure? When you keep talking about things in abstract terms that run counter-intuitive to what the people have held on to, you will run into trouble,” he said.
When asked to name a presidential candidate capable of commanding northern support, Mohammed-Baba declined to do so.
“We are waiting to see,” he said.
He also cautioned against complacency within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that political dominance should not be taken for granted.
“Nothing fails like success,” he said. “Be very careful, because sometimes complacency can spring surprises.”
Mohammed-Baba further argued that the North should not be viewed as a monolithic voting bloc, noting its internal diversity and differing political interests.
According to him, rising fuel prices, insecurity, and the growing number of out-of-school children will shape voter behaviour in 2027.
“Is there anybody offering an alternative now?” he asked. “I don’t see anything.”
