Cessation Of Hostility ‘Short-lived’ As Obasanjo And Fayose Exchange Insults
Barely a week after Chief Ayodele Peter Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti State, shared nice and great moments with former president Olusegun Obasanjo at his Abeokuta residence, the two of them are again, on the warpath.
What happened a few days ago was a development that had made people feel that the two prominent Nigerians had taken a decision to get back into a good relationship.
Signs however emerged on Monday that ‘hostility’ has not only returned but also worsened.
Fayose had visited the former president to invite him to his 65th birthday reception which was held on November 15 and OBJ was one of the dignitaries that later attended the event.
Obj’s decision to attend the event had since given birth to exchange of insults in reaction to the comments made by the former president while giving his speech at the birthday reception.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Fayose was the first to hit out at Obj via an SMS and he called the former president a mad man.
‘Dear Baba Obasanjo, I trust this meets you well. Your coming to my birthday party, I appreciate except for your very irresponsible comments at your age. You went so low but am not surprised because someone once said you are supposed be kept away in the zoo. Sincerely that is where you belong.
I kept quiet or did not reply you at the function so that the world will know the difference between a sane and a mad man that you are. It is also obvious that you have also lost your sanity OR should I say is the heightened stage of dementia. Not to worry Baba., I shall set the record straight in due course of time. Lastly I shall appreciate if you return my money since you publicly admitted you received but Dangote brought u back.
Your leopard will never change his skin’ the former Ekiti State governor submitted .
The SMS sent by Fayose entered public domain through the statement issued by the former President’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, who also added Obj’s response.
‘Ayo, thanks for your ‘Thank You’ message which undisguisedly revealed who and what you are, unchanged and unchangeable. Your money has been sent back through Foluso Adeagbo who brought it and in the same bag as he brought it unopened by me.Obj’ he wrote.
Fayose, a former fiery foot soldier of Obj had surprisingly metamorphosed into his adversary and for years now, the former Ekiti State governor had virulently criticized the former president.
The former governor, who is popularly called Oshokomole, had thrown an onslaught and gauntlet when OBJ inaugurated his presidential library, he issued a press statement requesting a refund of the N10 million he donated in support of the library project in 2006.
Fayose and Olusegun Obasanjo has had and maintained a frosty relationship since Oshokomole’s removal as governor in 2006 because the plot for his ouster was directly hatched by the then power brokers in the presidency.
What propelled the eventual straining of relationship between Obj and Fayose came from the domestic front in Ekiti State as he also then had issues with the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti.
The development naturally set him on collision path with members of the most powerful club in Ado Ekiti, the Ado-Ekiti Dynamics Club, who stood in solidarity with the foremost traditional ruler. The opportunity was also exploited by two prominent indigenes of the town that already had an axe to grind with Fayose, Obj’s Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, Bodunde and Chief Afe Babalola were readily available in leading others to champion the campaign that Oshokomole should be sanctioned.
Although Obj had months before then told a Southwest governor to caution Fayose, who he said was fighting his friend (Afe Babalola), Oshokomole as at that time however, still retained status as one of the foot soldiers of the former president until things suddenly fell apart.
Sources told Team@orientactualmags.com that Fayose’s trouble began when he innocently fell into the political trap set by the camp headed by the then VP Atiku Abubakar.
The Sardauna Ganye ,an experienced politician, who knows his onions already got wind of plans by some members of the Federal Executive Council and some people in the private sector to moot the idea of a 3rd term for Obj and he had considered and settled for the wise option of strategizing to make it turn a mirage since his relationship with Obj was still cordial at the surface level while a serious ‘silent war’ was already brewing.
At a meeting attended by governors, party excos and the stakeholders, at the instance of one of those who were working discreetly for Atiku’s agenda, the issue of who should emerge as Obj’s successor was raised, they argued that it would be proper for the party leaders to plan ahead and address the matter early. Since, it was a covert plan designed to box Obj into a corner in respect of the planned 3rd term, they suggested the idea of following the pattern of most developed countries where governors later emerge as presidents and the idea of beaming searchlight on the side of the governors was consequently suggested.
Fayose, who by his nature freely expresses his opinions wherever he is, was the most outspoken at the meeting and eventually a decision was taken to set up a committee that would assess those who are interested in becoming the president and Fayose was made the chairman.
Obj pretended not to take offence and he allowed Fayose to get mobilized for the search exercise which he found offensive and pronto! Fayose was flying from one state to another while OBJ perfected the plans for his sack. OBJ knew that the scenario enacted by Atiku at the meeting was to force him to comment or show commitment to or against the 3rd term agenda by possibly giving an order that such an issue should not be discussed but the former president kept mute and pretended to play along.
However, when the heat was about catching up on Fayose and those who are close to OBJ told him where he had erred, he quickly sought for an audience with the former president, explained his innocence and boldly said he could exchange blows with Atiku if ordered to do so by the Otta- based General as a way of showing his loyalty.
OBJ already got unfavorable signals and knew that there was a high possibility of the failure of the 3rd term agenda and like the case of the proverbial ‘Omoye’ who was too late to get covered having raced into the very heart of the market ‘naked’, it was too late to pacify the former Head of State and he refused to order a halt to the instructions to excuse Fayose out of the corridors of power.
A few days after Fayose joined the then Governor Bukola Saraki in welcoming Obasanjo to Kwara State, he was made to lose his position via a controversial ‘impeachment’.
He later staged a return to the Government House, Ado-Ekiti in 2014-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you
