Aregbesola's aide explains why she was attacked at burial

An aide of Governor Rauf Aregbesola who was attacked at the burial of late Senator Isiaka Adeleke on Monday, Hon Idiat Babalola, says she can explain.

Babalola said her attackers picked on her over unfounded rumors that she wants to be Deputy Governor after expiration of the tenure of the incumbent.

Babalola was attacked shortly after arriving the venue of the burial.

She said she sensed trouble when some of the hoodlums began making utterances to the effect that her rumored deputy governorship ambition was meant to checkmate the governorship ambition of the late Senator.

Adeleke had openly declared his intention to succeed Governor Aregbesola as Osun's number one citizen.

Babalola served in the penultimate cabinet as Special Adviser to the Governor on Federal Matters.

She said her attackers were certainly politically brainwashed.

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“I am a proud daughter of Ede and Uncle Isiaka has been a mentor and we never had any disagreement till the news of his death was broken to me while in Lagos on Sunday morning. I was heartbroken and immediately cut all my other engagements and came down to Ede from Lagos.

“We worked together with Uncle for the re-election of Governor Aregbesola in 2014 and for his own election into the Senate in 2015.

“Those who masterminded the attacks on me are people with poor understanding of the relationship between us and who act based on their own political permutations only,” Babalola said.

“Not long after we sat down for the prayers, I sensed some hoodlums saying some things like me wanting to be Deputy Governor while Uncle (Senator Adeleke) has declared his ambition to be Governor from the same Ede. I heard them talking about the new caretaker committee members being more of my loyalists than those of Senator Adeleke.

"And before we knew it, they grew more daring and unruly and brought down the canopy on the dignitaries present. It was the most unruly and irresponsible act I have seen in our land in history,” Babalola added.

She said it was unfortunate that "the miscreants" robbed a prominent son of Ede, the state burial that he deserved.

“That cannot be the best way to honour the memory of Uncle Adeleke. Senator Adeleke was a man of his people; a lover of peace and a political associate of Governor Aregbesola", she said.

Babalola was saved on the day by Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun.