Osogbo, Nigeria – Former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has publicly forgiven Sikiru Olaboye, who allegedly led an attack against him during the 2006 Oroki Day celebration in Osogbo.
Aregbesola granted the forgiveness during a reconciliation meeting held on Sunday in Osogbo, following Olaboye’s recent expression of remorse during a live radio broadcast. Speaking on Fresh 104.9FM Osogbo, Olaboye had acknowledged his past actions and pleaded for forgiveness, nearly 20 years after the attack.
Confirming the development in a social media post, Aregbesola stated:
“Earlier today, I received Sikiru Olaboye, one of the men who attempted to assassinate me during the 2006 Oroki Day Celebration in Osogbo.”
He recalled learning about Olaboye’s plea for forgiveness after his public confession on the radio and noted that their meeting was marked by prayers and mutual understanding.
While the exact motives behind the attack remain unclear, Aregbesola, a former Minister of Interior, reaffirmed that he harbors no resentment toward Olaboye or any other individuals involved in the incident.
“I assured him that I hold no grudges against him or anyone else involved,” he said.
Aregbesola attributed his survival and ability to forgive to divine intervention, emphasizing that he never sought revenge.
“I neither harbored resentment nor sought revenge after God spared me from that attack,” he added.
Reflecting on the significance of reconciliation, he underscored the importance of forgiveness, stating that ultimate judgment and mercy rest with God.
“It is God alone who has the power to forgive all our shortcomings. As His servants, I pray that He forgives both his and mine,” Aregbesola said.
The 2006 attack occurred in the wake of Aregbesola’s decision to contest the 2007 Osun State gubernatorial election under the Action Congress (AC) against the then-incumbent governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Reports from the time suggested the attack was an attempted assassination, an event that remains a significant part of Osun State’s political history.
Aregbesola’s public act of forgiveness has been widely acknowledged, with many seeing it as a step toward reconciliation in cases of political violence and past conflicts.
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