The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Rauf Aregbesola, has stirred reactions after claiming that he left office as Osun State governor without owning a personal house.
Aregbesola, who governed Osun State from 2010 to 2018 and later served as Minister of Interior under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, made the disclosure while addressing supporters in a video that has gone viral.
The former governor claimed he holds a unique record in Nigeria’s political history, saying he spent his entire eight-year tenure living in a friend’s house.
“I’m the first governor in Nigeria to rule a state for eight years without owning a house of my own,” he said.
Explaining further, Aregbesola challenged anyone who disputes his claim to produce evidence of any property belonging to him.
“I stayed in my friend’s house for eight years as a governor in my father’s land. Whoever says that what I’m saying is not true should come out and show me the house I own.”
During his tenure, Aregbesola introduced several policies focused on education, healthcare, poverty reduction, employment generation, peace-building and community development.
Before becoming governor, he was a prominent political figure in Osun and later moved to the federal cabinet, where he served as Minister of Interior. He is currently the National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress.
