Claim

Several tweets attached with pictures on Twitter, claim that Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola settled their age-long rift and vow to work together to win the July 16 gubernatorial election in Osun State and the 2023 presidential election for All Progressives Congress (APC).

Findings have revealed that the claims as seen on Twitter are misleading and the two actors (Aregbesola and Oyetola) have not settled their differences and there is no proof to show that the duo is working together ahead of the coming elections – except for their party’s activities.

On Sunday, 26th of June, 2022, different Twitter users have been tweeting misleading information to the public ahead of the gubernatorial election in Osun State which will be held on the 16th of July, 2022.

Checking The Tweets

According to @Harmoured on Twitter: “Breaking news: Few days to Osun State gubernatorial election, Aregbesola and Gov Oyetola reconciled, vow to deliver Osun for the APC.”

Another user @usmanyuauf tweeted: “Governor Oyetola and Interior minister, Rauf Aregbesola settle rift and vow to work together to win the Osun gubernatorial election and the coming presidential elections for APC.”

Also, we spotted different Twitter users that posted similar tweets:

“dear Nigerians,No politician worth dying for… Apply wisdom before u die for one. GEJ was in PDP before he joined APC, many idiots died over Aregbesola and Oyetola in Osun, today they reunited”- @DonAlex4U2C

 And “BOOM 💥 Aregbesola and Gov Oyetola reconciled, vow to deliver Osun for the APC….”- @HamzaUm20760103. They all used similar images.

Following the speed at which the claims have been in circulation since Sunday hence this fact-check report.

On February 18, 2022, Vanguard Newspaper reported about the longtime internal dispute between Oyetola and Aregbesola that recently took a twist with both sides.

As read on the Media news platform, “I worked very hard to ensure Oyetola’s election. It was, however, a rude shock when he got into office and started a grand witch-hunt against me. We campaigned for Oyetola through thick and thin to make him Governor. It was however surprising to see how he was doing to me when he got to the office.

“When he started doing it, I sent emissaries and started begging him. This went on for two years. I continued to send emissaries to him to appeal to him. I also begged him. I even told him not to like me at all, but not to destroy my good works or personality. He did not heed to this. He kept on with his witch-hunt.” – Rauf Aregbesola asserted.

While on the 20th of February, 2022, PremiumTimes also reported that Rauf Aregbesola rejected the result of the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship primary election after Gboyega Oyetola defeated Moshood Adeoti, the preferred candidate of the latter, and become the party governorship candidate for the next gubernatorial election.

Who are Oyetola and Aregbesola?

Gboyega Oyetola is a Nigerian politician and Governor in Osun State since September 2018 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, and prior to his winning the election, he was the Chief of Staff to Rauf Aregbesola.

In his ambition to remain in office for another four years, he contested his party’s primary election in Osun State and was officially declared winner on the 19th of February, 2022.

Ogbeni Raul Aregbesola is the current Minister of the Federal Ministry of Interior of Nigeria and was the preceding governor in Osun State for 8 years (2010-2018) under the platform of APC.

ROUNDCHECK Findings

Having seen the pictures of the duo sufficed on Twitter on Sunday evening that they have reconciled with each other a few days to Osun State gubernatorial election, ROUNDCHECK findings show otherwise.

Firstly, a quick keyword search on google revealed that there’s no media outlet that has reported about the settlement of the two gladiators.

However, Daily Post Nigeria and Punch Newspaper reported on the 27th of June, 2022 that “Aregbesola, Oyetola have not settled their differences” and “Aregbesola, Oyetola’s camps say no reconciliation yet” respectively.

Also, a Google Reverse Image (a digital fact-checking tool useful for verifying the source of images on the internet) was conducted and the result shows that the image of the duo put together beside the claim was first used when Governor Gboyega Oyetola received in audience, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; and other heads of parastatals under the Ministry, in his office on the 9th of June January, 2020.

Following the official page of Governor Oyetola on Instagram, ROUNDCHECK found out that the same picture has been used on the same date (January 9, 2020) as discovered through Google Reverse Image.

Under the post, reads the caption: I was pleased to receive in audience, my predecessor and Minister of Interior @raufaregbesola in my office today. The minister and his team will be in our dear State for the next two days to brainstorm on how to discharge the presidential mandate on the country’s internal security.

I am delighted to formally welcome him home one year after leaving office. I wish our honorable minister and his team successful deliberations at the retreat.

Conclusion and Verdict

ROUNDCHECK findings revealed that the pictures attached to the claim that Oyetola and Aregbesola have reconciled on Twitter are MISLEADING because they were not recently taken.

In addition, there were no media reports that Oyetola and Aregbesola met on Sunday 26th June 2022 to discuss the Osun State election and the 2023 general elections.