A former frontline member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)  Rauf Aregbesola and his former erstwhile boss, President Bola Tinubu are currently locked in what observers have described as mother of all battles.

Aregbesola, the current National secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), fired the first slvo when he described President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda as a “scam”.

Aregbesola spoke on Tuesday at the party’s national convention in Abuja, where he said the promises made by the Tinubu government had yet to materialise nearly three years into its tenure.

The former Osun state governor accused the Tinubu administration of deepening Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.

“Four years ago, this government promised Nigerians renewed hope. Now, three years into its tenure, it is still promising renewed hope. When exactly will this hope come into fruition? The answer is simple: it is a scam,” Aregbesola said.

“If allowed, this regime will continue to chant renewed hope till eternity. We have a duty to stop these scammers from retaining power.”

He cited worsening poverty and education indicators as evidence of governance failure.

Aregbesola claimed that the number of out-of-school children has risen from 18.3 million to 20 million, while about 130 million Nigerians are now classified as multidimensionally poor.

He also criticised the federal government’s handling of insecurity, particularly its response to attacks by bandits and terrorists across the country.

“This has been the worst time in terms of security in the nation, with banditry and terrorism spreading across the country,” he said.

” But, also worried is the lack of empathy by the president after the 2025 Yelwata massacre in Benue state. The president, on a condolence trip, did not visit the affected community; rather, he held court at the government house in Benue state.”

The former governor further argued that Nigeria risks being governed by what he termed “the least qualified”, warning against what he described as a drift towards kakistocracy.

“We cannot allow kakistocracy in Nigeria,” he said, adding that the administration should be held accountable to its own commitments, particularly on power supply.

“The government once said it should not be voted for if it fails to provide electricity. An honest president would step down rather than seek re-election under such circumstances,” he added.

On party matters, Aregbesola defended the leadership of David Mark as chairman of the ADC, insisting that due process was followed and that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been duly notified.

“Nobody has the locus standi to challenge the leadership of David Mark. Our last NEC meeting was observed by INEC officials, and the report was formally submitted and acknowledged by the commission,” he said.

Aregbesola also accused INEC of partisanship and alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is unsettled by the growing strength of the ADC.

“The ADC is now the largest opposition platform with major political actors. It is clear that the APC is jittery,” he added.

”We call on the international community to take note of INEC’s biased actions.”

Tinubu, through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday fired back at Aregbesola.

Responding in a post on X, Onanuga described Aregbesola’s comments as misleading and accused him of failing to reflect on his record in public office.

“My attention has been drawn to Rauf Aregbesola’s attack on the Tinubu administration at today’s illegal elective convention of the ADC — a party of desperados and power mongers who, to date, have not articulated any credible plan for Nigeria,” he said.

“At the event, Aregbesola reportedly called on his former boss, mentor, and benefactor to resign, parroting the opposition’s warped narratives about the economy and orchestrated reports of terrorist attacks in some parts of the country.”

Onanuga alleged that Aregbesola’s tenure as governor of Osun state was marked by hardship and salary challenges.

“His eight years as governor of Osun State were characterised by unmitigated hardship for the people,” he said.

“Under his half-baked socialist policies, civil servants went unpaid for months, and those who were paid received only a fraction of their salaries.

“It is to Aregbesola’s infamy that Osun became known as a state receiving negative federal allocation and paying just 20 to 30 per cent of normal salaries.

“It was worse for pensioners in Aregbesola’s Osun State. Many pensioners who relied on their meagre monthly payments died because they were not paid at all.”

He added that Aregbesola’s tenure as minister of interior witnessed multiple jailbreaks and security lapses.

“As Minister of Interior under President Muhammadu Buhari, his tenure witnessed the highest number of jailbreaks in Nigeria’s history — including the infamous Kuje Prison escape in Abuja,” he said.

“During his four years, obtaining a Nigerian passport became a nightmarish process, and there were 15 major attacks on correctional facilities in Jos, Abolongo, Imo, Kabba, and Okitipupa, resulting in over 4,000 inmates escaping to join criminal elements.”

Onanuga said the Renewed Hope agenda is yielding results and dismissed Aregbesola’s claims.

“No, Rauf, the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a scam. The real scammers are the politicians gathered inside the SPV called ADC,” he added.