By Femi Fani-Kayode
I am an indigene of Osun state. I am from Ile-Ife, the ancestral home of the Yorubas. So, whatever I am about to share with you is a product of personal experience and vast knowledge of the socio-political configuration of my state. I have to share this after deep introspection, although I am still deeply mourning the death of one of Osun's finest and colourful politicians of all time.
Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was a very popular grassroots politician, Isiaka Adeleke was a very generous and large-hearted man who could empty his vault for the people, Adeleke had gubernatorial ambition to succeed Rauf Aregbe, he's always had it even before he defected to the APC.
Sometimes in 2013, Rauf Aregbesola, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande cajoled Adeleke to abandon his old political party, the PDP for the APC just so that they could ride on his popularity to win elections in Osun state, the joker worked as Adeleke left the PDP for the APC on the promise that he would be made to succeed Aregbesola after the later might have completed his two terms of 8 years in office but as usual, the trio of Rauf Aregbesola, Bola Tinubu and Bisi Akande reneged on this promise just like they did in the case of Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State in 2014.
Unknown to Adeleke, they (Aregbe, Tinubu and Bisi Akande) have always had a different plan and the plan is that Adeleke would be prevented from getting the guber ticket, the belief of the trio is that Adeleke was too popular and independed-minded to be controlled by the Lagos Mafia, they knew that Adeleke had a winning political structure and it would be difficult to teleguide him from Lagos as they always do
So, Tinubu anointed Gboyega Oyetola and brought him back from Lagos to Osun State to be Chief of Staff to Aregbe overnight. Gboyega is Tinubu's first cousin from Iragbiji, the ancestral home of Tinubu in Osun state, Gboyega was/is the business advisor to Tinubu in Lagos. He handles a chunk of Tinubu's businesses in Lagos.
Tinubu wanted him because he believes that he would further the perfect yeoman's job that he made Aregbe to do in Osun state, but Adeleke was proving too 'stubborn' and too popular for their liking, they used the party to warn Adeleke not to commence campaigns but Adeleke defied them.
Adeleke had the strong backing of Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state and lately, Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State. These three detest Tinubu's godfatherim and high-handedness in the South-West, and they've been working well, and succeeding, in taming the monster, that's why you would notice that only these three gathered for the burial rites of Adeleke in Ede, did you notice that not a single high ranking government functionary from Osun state attended the Firdua prayers in Ede?
Did you notice that despite his popularity and strategic importance to the victory of the APC in Osun state, neither Tinubu nor Bisi Akande honoured this Osun illustrious son with their presence at the Firdua? It's all a perfected premeditated game plan. First, Aregbe was told to travel out of the state, to China on a phony business trip.
After this, the agents of darkness were programmed to strike and they did struck deep into the hearts of Osun people. Almost immediately, and in order to cover their tracks, they asked Omoyele Sowore of Sahara Reporters to spine the story away from them, and like a loyal boy that he always is to the Lagos Mafia, he did spine it that Adeleke died of drug overdose in the hand of a 'quack' doctor.
How can a doctor with over two decades experience suddenly become a quack overnight? How could a doctor who had been attending to Adeleke and his family for years suddenly become a quack in the estimation of Sahara Reporters and its sponsors?
They killed Adeleke without blinking an eye, they killed Adeleke just like they killed Funsho Williams in Lagos state, they killed Adeleke just like they killed Dipo Dina in Ogun state.
But they've only killed Adeleke, they've not killed the spirit of Osun people to liberate themselves from the yoke of the Lagos mafia. They've not killed Adeleke's memories in our hearts.