The governorship race is still months away, but the tension is palpable that it can be cut with a knife, writes Dapo Aderinola, a former editor, who hails from the state.
Going through the OKEEKE MALUPELE platform as a matter of routine, a screaming headline: “You are a disgrace” caught my attention. It was an inescapable one illustrated with the photos of Arabirin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu and her late husband Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s niece, Funke-Akeredolu-Aruna.
The cause of the spark seems to be the reported decision of Funke, the former deputy chief protocol officer to Akeredolu, to back Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in the governorship election coming up in November, an action which in Lady Betty’s opinion, amounted to a disgrace.
From all indications, as far as she was concerned, it would be odious for anyone from Aketi’s nuclear or extended family, regardless of their suitability, to have anything to do with his successor.
And so for Lady Betty, Funke stands guilty as charged! By extension, so also should Agboola Ajayi, the former deputy governor who has reportedly thrown his hat in the ring on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). And, of course, Olayide Adelami from Owo for accepting to be Aiyedatiwa’s deputy.
When all hands should be on deck to heal the wounds of the past and unite for progress in the state, it will be terribly embarrassing to witness an outbreak of the war of in-laws in the state.
It would be a damaging spectacle after Governor Aiyedatiwa has, in his wisdom, chosen Adelami, an illustrious son of Owo kingdom, as his deputy.
How good and pleasant would it have been if Mrs Akeredolu had considered certain things before launching a social media attack on her in-law.
In the United States of America (USA), Mary Trump has been running a sustained exposé on the behaviour of her brother, Donald Trump over his handling of the family’s property ever since he first ran for president. Melania Trump avoided labelling her sister in-law as one thing or another.
At home, former President Muhammadu Buhari made Gbemisola Saraki a minister. Her brother, Bukola’s wife, Toyin, is not on record as calling her sister in-law a traitor for accepting the job.
Many are in politics for selfish reasons. This is why the struggle for power at the centre is intense. These power profiteers and fortune- seekers daily compete for sartorial excellence across media platforms, pundits said.
A check list of the staggering amounts of money stolen in the past and some of those involved is an assault to public sensibilities!
If Funke has taken anything from the Akeredolus, Lady Betty has the right to feel hurt. The onus will then be on her to prove her claim.
I would be happy to back her to the hilt, if that is the case.
Methinks, there’s more to this incipient feud than meets the eye, barely a week after the burial of the late Governor Akeredolu. Time will tell.
What Lady Betty needs to know is that by going into a fight with her in-law, she may be perceived as interfering in the affairs of the government and unwittingly harming the collective interest of Owo people under the Aiyedatiwa government.
What greater honour can she ask for after the outpouring of encomiums on her late husband by President Bola Tinubu, governors, the Bar and the Bench, among others?
But if Funke decides to fight back in exercise of her right of reply, there is the risk of opening the Pandora’s Box, which is better kept under lock.
The spectacle will not be elegant. It is hardly the best way to honour the memory of Aketi.
READ ALSO
BREAKING! Senate Suspends Ningi Over N3.7 Trillion Budget Padding
