Special Adviser to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kehinde Bamigbetan, has shared details of a long-past political encounter with Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, describing their reunion as proof that “time heals.”
Bamigbetan, a former Commissioner for Information in Lagos State, said he met Tambuwal, now representing Sokoto South Senatorial District, at the Executive-Legislative Retreat of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development held on Friday at Zuma Rock Resort.
Writing on his verified Facebook page on Monday, Bamigbetan recounted how Tambuwal, then Speaker of the House of Representatives, intervened in the 2015 primary elections for the House of Representatives in Lagos State, where Bamigbetan was a frontline aspirant.
According to him, he had contested against the incumbent lawmaker, Hon. Muniru Abiodun, popularly known as “Kilo,” and was confident of securing the ticket until news filtered in that Tambuwal had been asked to wade into the race.
“Three days to the primaries, rumours began to fly that the incumbents had prevailed on Rt. Hon. Tambuwal to intercede with the leadership of our party to give them automatic tickets,” Bamigbetan recalled. “Two days to the primaries, the rumour became real. The Speaker arrived Lagos and began a dialogue with the leadership. By afternoon, aspirants were called.”
He said he was later invited to meet Tambuwal, who informed him of the leadership’s preference for continuity. “Speaker Tambuwal told me he was told that I was set to pick the ticket but appealed that I should let the incumbent complete two terms in office,” he wrote.
Bamigbetan said although the decision was difficult, he accepted it as an act of loyalty to the party. “I felt the leadership had given me honour and respect by letting Hon. Tambuwal appeal directly. As a party man and loyalist, I appealed to my supporters to fall in line with the party,” he said.
During their encounter at the Zuma Rock Resort, Bamigbetan said he reminded the former governor of Sokoto State of the incident. In response, Tambuwal called Hon. Muniru Abiodun to share in the reunion. “He rang Hon. Muniru Abiodun, aka Kilo, and told him of our reunion. Then, he gave me the phone to exchange pleasantries. We laughed and exchanged banters,” Bamigbetan wrote.
Reflecting on the moment, the former Ejigbo Local Council Development Area chairman said the episode showed that politics requires compromise and loyalty. “Politics is give and take. I have demonstrated loyalty by stepping aside in 2015 and 2023 for incumbents. This time, EMILOKAN!” he concluded, referencing the popular Yoruba political phrase meaning “it’s my turn.”
Bamigbetan’s post has drawn attention within political circles, with many observers seeing it as a gesture of reconciliation and a reminder of the personal sacrifices often made in party politics.
Tambuwal, a seasoned politician and lawyer, served as Speaker of the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015 before becoming Governor of Sokoto State for two terms. He now serves in the 10th Senate under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Bamigbetan, on his part, is a veteran journalist and public affairs analyst who previously served as Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy. He currently advises the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on strategic communications.
Their meeting, held during the ministry’s executive-legislative retreat, underscored a message of unity and maturity within Nigeria’s political space, a reminder that in politics, old rivalries often give way to mutual respect.
