𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗯𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮: 𝗔 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴.

In the volatile theatre of Nigerian politics, relevance is often measured not by performance but by proximity to power. It is within this framework that the legacy of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, former Governor of Osun State and former Minister of Interior, is being unjustly downplayed if not outright erased.

To dismiss Aregbesola as a “paperweight” is not only an insult to political history but a deliberate act of selective amnesia. Here is a man who dared to challenge orthodoxy who reimagined governance in a state shackled by poverty and crumbling infrastructure. His urban renewal projects, education reforms, and audacious social investment programs such as the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) were not just lofty dreams, they were implemented policies that changed lives.

And yet, because of internal party politics and a falling out with powerful figures within the APC, Aregbesola is being treated as if he never mattered. His critics are quick to echo his controversies but silent on his contributions. The public discourse seems content to pretend that his name no longer carries weight as though leadership is measured solely by current headlines rather than lasting impact.

The irony is not lost on anyone paying attention. The same political machine that once touted him as a progressive visionary now turns its back. He is ignored not for lack of performance, but for stepping out of line. That is the price of independent thinking in Nigeria’s power structure.

But history has a longer memory than gossip columns and Twitter trends. Aregbesola’s story flawed, complex, and unfinished deserves more than a footnote. Whether or not today’s political elites choose to acknowledge it, he remains a figure who shaped the contours of governance in modern Osun State and beyond.

To label him a “paperweight” is to reduce substance to silence. And that, frankly, is a disservice not just to Aregbesola but to truth itself.