Former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba has declared total war against Afenifere chieftain, Ayo Adebanjo over what he alleged as his hostile disposition towards him insisting that it is now fire-for-fire.
Below is Osoba’s message to Adebanjo:
“I want to give a strong notice to Chief Ayo Adebanjo that from now, I will return fire-for-fire.
I have, over time, tried hard to give him the respect of a little difference in our age as a Senior Brother.
I will come out forcefully to reply him anytime he speaks.
We were together on a programme about a month ago where he accused me of being a sellout. And I challenged him that I have an impeccable character and honour which he admitted saying that he didn’t say that I am corrupt or not reliable but that I sold out on the issue of restructuring.
I have consistently preached that this Country needs genuine and true federalism.
I have, over the years, campaigned that what we need is the Canadian/Australian model.
His (Adebanjo) attitude is that you must agree with his definition and you must not have a contrary opinion.
I have, over time, told him that his behavior is inconsistent with the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s behavior.
Awolowo tolerated dissenting views, he listened to second, third opinions contrary to Adebanjo’s attitude of rigidity.
Over time, he has never wished me well.
In 1984, soon after the Military Coup of 1983, the Military offered the position of Managing Director of Daily Times to me.
I went to our Leader, Papa Awolowo, to clear the appointment with him.
Adebanjo was opposed to my moving from Daily Sketch to Daily Times on the grounds that it will be a sellout to the Military.
But Papa Awolowo took a very objective opinion and said “look, this is a professional appointment and it has nothing to do with politics and Osoba moving to Daily Times would be a big plus to the progressives.
Of course Awolowo’s view manifested when I moved to Daily Times.
Later we met at Lagos University Teaching Hospital when the late Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, was hospitalized.
There, Adebanjo requested that I should use Daily Times to run a campaign to have the Road to his House constructed because the Road was always water logged.
And I told him “but you were opposed to my going to Daily Times, and said I sold-out”.
Gboyega Onabanjo, the Son of Olabisi Onabanjo, is alive to testify.
Also in 1990 when I opted to contest for the Governorship of Ogun State, he went all out to abort my ambition.
He took many practical steps. He adopted Professor Olabimtan as his Candidate and got the Awujale to call a meeting of Ijebus where a resolution was passed that “no Ijebu should vote for Osoba”.
But thank God it was the era of open ballot; we went to the primary and I defeated him even in his Home Town.
During my first tenure as Governor, I still invited him and others to an Elders Consultative Forum.
By the time of my second coming, he again was opposed to me, he supported Femi Okurounmu. He is always against me.
He is always acting like the Interpreter of Awolowo’s philosophy.
I once challenged him: when did he become Awolowo’s Peter and when did Awolowo give him the key to his philosophy ?
I have always maintained that my relationship with Awolowo was independent of any of them.
I met Awolowo when he came out of Prison in 1966.
… I am not one of those Adebanjo’s Afenifere made Governor.
Papa Adesanya, Papa Solanke, Chief Ayo Adebanjo were all opposed to my Candidature in 1990 on the grounds that they had zoned Ogun Governorship to Yewa.
I went on to win the primary on my own.
I went on to win the Governorship without any input from any of them.
Papa Adesanya was one of the first to quickly call me and said that I won the election.
He (Adebanjo) must never again say that he made me Governor.
I was a Governor against Afenifere’s wish in 1990.
Afenifere never contributed a kobo to my being a Governor in 1990.
They caused it (Afenifere break up).
After we were rigged out in 2003, they were gloating, happy to see us kicked out.
Papa Adesanya then called a meeting at Jibowu to see how he could rebuild then AD (Alliance for Democracy) Family.
They went after Otunba Niyi Adebayo (former Governor of Ekiti) and Adebayo walked out on them on the grounds that they made uncomplimentary remarks about his Father.
He told them he “is not a Bastard” that “he valued his Father much more than he valued them”.
That was how they destroyed the attempt to reconcile then AD Governors.
They then went ahead to recognize the AD sponsored by President Obasanjo because, at that time, Senator Akinfenwa, through Senator Ogunlewe, was the one we suspected was being promoted by Obasanjo as AD Leader.
They went to Akure and recognized Akinfenwa as against Chief Bisi Akande.
That was the beginning of the division in Afenifere.
Also his utterances and attitude have caused many to pull away from Afenifere …”